


Moments Like These

by jvo_taiski



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: 'best friends', Angst, College, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Help, M/M, Mentions of PTSD/Depression, New Rome, Roommates, Smut, Underworld, accidental hook up, how do you write tags, idiots in college, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 42,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25528006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jvo_taiski/pseuds/jvo_taiski
Summary: "Percy's my room mate and best friend," smiled Jason, without missing a beat. Recently, he'd had a lot of practise telling people that no, unfortunately he wasn't dating Percy Jackson. It was a bit depressing really, but it only hurt a little bit now.~When Annabeth left him, Percy felt like the whole world was pulled out from under his feet. And without an anchor he knew he'd be left drifting through stormy seas alone.That was, until he opened his eyes and noticed his best friend.Meanwhile, Jason's just trying to keep Percy out of trouble in college and failing to ignore his very obvious more-than-a-crush. But it's hard when even Persephone wants to get into Percy's pants.AKA Jercy in college + fluff + mutual pining + jealousy because they're 'just friends'  +  someone gets kidnapped so i have an excuse to write a fight scene etc~Set after HOO-- I'm ignoring canon after the war with Gaea because (spoiler) Jason dies and I can't handle that sort of emotional damage. Let them live a peaceful life they deserve it.
Relationships: Calypso/Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Percy Jackson, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Piper McLean/Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano (Implied)
Comments: 70
Kudos: 358
Collections: Moonlight and Cats





	1. CHAPTER 1

**Author's Note:**

> sup kids very short chapter to start but they do get a lot longer  
> my shits on wattpad as well @Taiski_   
> thanks for reading xJ

"Percy, I just don't think it's working,"

She was sitting across the cabin from him, cross-legged on the bed. The last rays of sun in the day filtered through the windows, catching the curls on her blonde hair and reminding Percy forcefully of the first time he'd ever seen her—12 years old and delusional after being knocked out by the minotaur. It was like wading through a dream. He barely registered the words coming out of her mouth.

"I think we should go on a break. It's just not the same as it used to be."

He wanted to tell her that no, she was wrong, of course it was the same as it always was. It had been Percy and Annabeth for as long as he could remember, Percy and Annabeth through hell and back. But there she was, with those same princess curls and familiar stormy grey eyes telling him that they were through. It was just Percy, now.

"Why?" his words weren't working. He wanted to cry, ask so much more but his brain hadn't caught up yet.

"I don't think... Percy, our relationship isn't the same as it used to be. I don't think it's healthy anymore. We've changed too much."

"I don't understand. Annabeth, please, at least tell me why I'm not good enough anymore."

"Percy," she reached across and put a hand on his knee. Probably supposed to comfort him but he could barely feel it. "It's just a break. It's not that you're not good enough, I just feel like I need some space. That's all. I think we both need to open our eyes and realise that life is still going on and that there are other people and other things to do and that we don't need to worry anymore. We can relax."

"Annabeth," he was well aware that his voice sounded broken and panicky. "Annabeth, do we need to go on a break for that? We can do things, I promise. Whatever you want. Look, I'll take you out for dinner tomorrow."

"Hey," she whispered softly. "It's alright. It's just a break. I think it's for the best. We need to move on and start living a bit. I'm still your best friend Seaweed Brain, you can still rely on me."

But Percy just shut his eyes and backed away from her, leaning against the wall. It was cold and hard against his back and just about did the job of grounding him. For the first time, that stupid nickname felt unfamiliar to him. Then he just sat there, jaw clenched, trying desperately to ignore the hot prick of tears behind his eyelids. He dimly registered her taking her hand off his knee, and with a last waft of her familiar lemon-scented shampoo, she was gone.

She'd left him. That was it. After everything they'd been through... Percy felt sick and disorientated as if the whole world had been pulled straight out from underneath him, like a rug. He had nothing. Nobody to turn to.

His rock, the person he cared about most in the world, the person he'd gone through hell with... she'd left him. And now, with no anchor, Perseus Jackson was left drifting through stormy seas alone.


	2. CHAPTER 2

Jason finished scraping a portion of food into the fire and scanned the hall. He was already late to dinner but again, there wasn't a sign of Percy and his tanned skin and laughing green eyes, not even with his arm around Annabeth at the Athena table.

He cursed and ducked to avoid a clump of mashed potatoes sent at him from the Hephaestus table. Of course it was Leo, and Jason's own ex-girlfriend Piper. He loved them and all and they were super supportive but fuck, they were annoying. He flipped him the finger, struggling to keep all his food on his tray and changed directions to go sit with Frank and Hazel instead, sitting at the Hades table with the Lord of the Wild—when Jason had first met the head of the Counsel of Cloven Elders he'd been awestruck. But Grover was Percy's middle school best friend and embodied the failing college hipster stereotype, and it was hard not to warm up to him, even if he was Lord of the Wild.

"Ja-a-a-ason!" he scooted over and moved his plate of tin cans so Jason could sit. "You seen Percy around?"

Jason frowned. So he wasn't the only one who'd noticed Percy's disappearance. He hadn't been at dinner for the past couple of days and seemed off when he had spoken. "No. Have you asked Annabeth?"

"You haven't heard?" Hazel stopped chewing and lowered her voice, casting a quick look at the Athena table, where Annabeth was laughing with her siblings.

"Heard what?" Jason furrowed his brow.

"They broke up. Percy and Annabeth."

"What?" he choked violently on his drink but desperately tried to pull it off. How had he not known this?

"You alright?" Frank reached across the table to slap him on the back.

"Yeah, just surprised... you know. They're the golden couple and all. Inseparable half the time."

"Yeah," Grover bleated, looking somewhat forlorn. "Annabeth needed some space, I think. The last war took a lot out of everyone, especially because it was so soon after the first one."

"Huh."

Instinctively, all four of them turned in their seats to peer over at Annabeth at the Athena table—maybe she did look a little red-eyed but she also looked relaxed and happy, so unlike the tired, strained look she'd had throughout the war and that followed her even when it had ended two months ago.

Grover sighed and turned back to his tin cans. "I'm disappointed. Percy's crushed, obviously."

Jason didn't doubt that. Percy hadn't quite recovered from any of it and it was obvious—every time he'd seen Percy recently, he was always with Annabeth and that was all that seemed to matter in his world. And without her, he looked lost like a little puppy. Not that Jason was paying attention, nope. He just happened to notice.

"I was watching those two bleating idiots deny their feelings for 5 years before they finally got together," Grover was still reminiscing. He sounded like a disappointed parent. "Now that they've split..."

"It's just a break, or at least that's what Annabeth told me," Hazel reminded them.

Against his will, Jason felt his heart sink in his chest again. Just a break. They were honestly perfect for each other and out of all the couples on Argo II, he would definitely have said that they were most likely to last. Which is why it hurt every time he came head to head with Percy during training, or when he flippantly flirted with Jason as a joke and worst of all when he'd see Percy looking at Annabeth like his whole world revolved around her.

"I don't know, Hazel," sighed Grover. "Look at Annabeth. She's happier than I've seen her in a long time. Speak of Hades—" all four of them turned around again. "There's Percy. At least he's come to dinner. Pe-e-e-ercy!"

He looked fucking terrible, or as terrible as it was possible for Percy Jackson to look with his devastatingly pretty face.

"Hey," Percy flopped down on the bench next to Jason, forcing him to scoot over. Jason's arm tingled from where Percy had shoved him.

"Percy, that can't be all you're eating!" scolded Hazel, glaring at the single blue muffin on his plate. "It's dinner and we know you skipped lunch today."

"Thanks Hazel but I'm not hungry."

"Percy."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, right," but Hazel finally dropped the matter when she saw she was going nowhere. Frank and Grover started up a conversation about Grover's new wilderness conservation project and Jason pretended to listen but really, he was doing his best to look at Percy without anyone noticing. He was worried. Percy had barely touched his muffin and kept casting long, wistful glances towards the Athena table. They boy honestly looked lost, like he always did when he wasn't with Annabeth.

It was only 10 minutes before Percy discarded his half-eaten muffin and got up. Jason frowned, watching his slumped figure and didn't miss the way he looked at the Athena table one last time, probably hoping Annabeth would turn around. She didn't.

"I'll go check if he's alright," Jason stood up.

"No point," said Grover, between a mouthful of tin cans. "He won't talk to anyone about it. I think he's in denial, bro."

"I've gotta try," Jason offered his empty can of coke to Grover and followed Percy across the pavilion. He wasn't in his cabin—it was empty and a complete fucking mess without Annabeth scolding Percy to clean it up.

After checking the lake and the sparring arena, Jason finally found Percy sitting in the sand on the beach, hugging his knees. He looked so small and vulnerable, fiddling with his camp necklace. 6 beads for 6 years.

"Percy," Jason didn't miss the hopeful look that lit up his face but faded immediately when he realised he wasn't Annabeth.

Percy turned away, quickly wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. His voice sounded musty and choked. "Jason. I'm honestly fine, I'm just... looking at the water. I like beaches."

"I know that," Jason sat down next to him, digging his toes into the warm sand. Beaches were beautiful at dusk. "I'm not judging you man, just thought you might need some company."

"I don't. I'm fine. Alone."

He didn't miss the wobble in Percy's voice at the end. Jason just shrugged. "That's alright man, but you've holed yourself in your cabin for two days. We know you're upset but we're missing you."

Percy made a hmph noise but didn't look up to meet Jason's eye, instead choosing to trace little squiggles in the sand with his finger, the other arm still hugging his knees. The dusky pink-purple of the setting sun highlighted the tears streaked across his cheeks.

"Hey, you can always talk to me if you need. Just making sure you know that. I'm not here to judge."

"Bro," Percy looked up from the sand, eyes reflecting the ocean in front of him. "Why did you and Piper break up?"

"We just weren't right for each other; it was never gonna last."

"Were me and Annabeth never meant to last?" he looked so helpless when he spoke that Jason had to resist throwing an arm around him.

"I... Piper and I were different to you guys. Hera basically shoved us together, our whole relationship was artificial. You and Annabeth? That was genuine, bro."

"Then why did she leave me?"

"I don't know, man. Maybe she just needs some space."

He kicked the sand in frustration. "Why the fuck does everyone keep saying that? The hell does it even mean?"

Jason couldn't help it, seeing the son of the sea god broken beyond belief. As Percy began to cry in earnest, Jason put his arm around him. He hadn't seen him this distraught before, not even when Annabeth was searching for the mark of Athena alone. He could fight then. He could do something to get her back. But there was no monster or giant or god standing between him and Annabeth this time, only Annabeth's own feelings. And it looked like for the first time, there was nothing he could do.

Percy tensed in Jason's arms at first but eventually gave in and relaxed, letting the tears flow freely.

***

At least Percy seemed more like his usual self the next day, although Jason didn't miss the way that Percy's gaze would always subconsciously drift to wherever Annabeth was. And somehow managed to avoid her anyway. Jason knew that Annabeth was still definitely friends with him—she'd vented for 20 minutes about how Percy was avoiding her until Piper pointed out that she had broken up with him after all.

"Can't he just be mature about this? It's just he was so clingy you know. I felt like his mom not his girlfriend, it's stifling," she complained.

"Annie gal," Piper rolled her eyes and lowered her bow. "We've been through this. You wanted space, space is what you got hun. You can't exactly expect the poor boy to flip straight to friends, he's acting like he's got his bloody lifeline cut off. Are you gonna sit there complaining or actually do some target practice?"

Jason tried not to show his annoyance at Annabeth's words. It sounded like she was taking him for granted, even though Jason knew that wasn't the case. Her feelings weren't unfounded; he would be blind not to notice the way that Percy used to stick to her side like glue.

"Hmmm," Annabeth fired at the target. She missed by miles. Piper snorted with laughter and Annabeth scowled, turning away from the target. "Oh my god."

"What?" he turned around, trying to figure out the source of her annoyance now. Percy Jackson was dangling in Festus' claws over the lake, flailing to get free as he was repeatedly slapped by nymphs, while Leo cackled and shot nerf bullets at the enraged nymphs. Jason felt the corners of his mouth lift.

***

"Oh man, imma miss this place," Leo popped the cap off his root beer and hopped onto the desktop. There were only a couple of weeks left before summer ended. He flicked the cap at Percy, who flailed trying to swat it away. It hit him on the head. "I can't believe I'm being sent to high school. Least it's in the bay area and not halfway across the country from you guys."

Percy handed the cap to Grover, who ate it without a second thought. "Brooo... Grover, my guy, move your damn conservation project to 'Frisco."

"I'm not conserving dams, doofus. I'm conserving redwoods."

"Wha—oh for—Grover, you idiot," laughed Percy, shoving Grover sideways. "Besides, nobody cares about redwoods. Come conserve some trees in California at least, no need to be up north." 

"Pe-e-e-ercy, I'm coming back for Christmas. Relax."

"Yeah Percy, at least you're in New Rome and not in high school—"

"Man, high school's not that bad," Jason shrugged. "You're with Pipes and Calypso anyway, it's not like you're by yourself."

"Easy for you to say, sparky. Teachers hate me."

"Yeah," Jason snorted. "Because you're fucking annoying."

"Oi! Watch it Superman, or Hot McShizzles will fuck you up," he pointed his spanner threateningly in Jason's direction.

"Why's Calypso going back to school anyway?" asked Grover. "Surely she isn't being forced."

Leo's expression softened. "Cals doesn't know jack shit about the modern world and thinks she's missed a life. She wants to catch up on some of it, you know."

"She's not missing anything good in high school," muttered Percy. Jason knew Percy was distinctly uncomfortable around Calypso—he still blamed himself for leaving her there the first time. "Issa shit hole."

"S'what I tried to tell her," Leo shrugged. "But hey, what the hell at least I won't be lonely."

"I feel so damn sorry for Pipes, she's gonna be the ultimate third wheel."

"Shut it Grace, Pipes is my homeboy, my partner in crime. 'Course she won't. Have you decided what you're studying in college yet?"

"I dunno, probably stick with a major in Law."

"You were talking about History as well amigo, no?"

"Sounds fucking long. Law seems easier, honestly."

Both Percy and Leo stared at him in disgust. "Who in their right mind finds Law easy?"

"Me. Easier than Marine Biology anyway," Jason cast a pointed glance at Percy, who just shrugged.

"I like fish. Only problem is the biology part. I barely passed high school man, they're making me take some 'alternative pathway' bullshit instead of going straight to my course," he whined.

"Wooiii, special students gang shit," Leo fist bumped Percy.

"You're not supposed to be proud of failing school," Grover pointed out.

"C'mon Grover man, ain't the real issue here the outdated and shitty school system that discriminates against students who can't learn like institution wants them to?"

Percy clapped Leo on the back and grinned. "Fuck school, anarchy for the win. Leo, my guy, what say we quit school and be hermits or join a circus? I can be the mermaid."

"Wild idea, bro. Epic. Can you jump through rings of fire though?" Leo jumped off the worktop and pulled a pencil out his pocket. "Man, I can design rigs of fire to go over the lake if you want. Right now. For practise, obviously."

"Bro, make them move, I can backflip through them as a mermaid," grinned Percy.

"Yes. We're doing it. We're putting on our first show tomorrow, charge all the campers 5$ to watch. Oh man, the nymphs are gonna be so mad." the manic glint in Leo's eyes reflected Percy's as he started sketching.

"You're going to die," Jason reminded them. He felt like he had to be the mature one and remind them because while Grover was also staring at them with a 'what the fuck' expression, he also looked like he was alright with watching Percy getting blowtorched.

"Bro. That's kind of the point," Percy grinned, and his expression made even Leo put down his pencil and look at him, concerned.

"No, bro. You're not supposed to die. It's not a one-term investment, we gotta do it more than once to get rich enough to buy a mansion with a Jacuzzi. Besides, you can't even get any third degree burns, your pretty face might help attract the ladies and make 'em tip you extra. Of course, if I was the mermaid they'd be flocking by the thousands but I gotta give you some of the credit and your abs are all you've got going for you bro."

"You're right, bro."

"Bro. You're not supposed to agree with me, bro. I was joking, you're useful in so many more ways than your abs."

"Aw, you really think so bro?"

"Yah bro, you're sexy and smart and funny and amazing. No homo tho."

"Aw man, right back at ya. I love you bro. No homo," Percy hopped off the counter as well and smacked Leo's ass playfully and Leo winked flirtatiously in response, while Grover face palmed.

"Naw, Grover buddy, I'm not neglecting you, you'll always be my no.1!"

"Please, for the love of Pan, do not smack my bum Perseus Jackson."

Jason burst out laughing as Percy pouted. He was honestly glad that Percy had his mischievous nature back, even if he did make more self-deprecating jokes than was considered normal and avoided Annabeth like the plague. He did seem most comfortable around Leo and Jason was grateful for that. Leo's constant stupid jokes could always bring out a smile in Percy and even if Percy's laughter was forced or strained sometimes, it was better than moody silence. Leo was the guy Percy went to as a distraction from life and Leo confided in Jason that he knew that—Percy was throwing himself into more and more ridiculous activities to take his mind off things.

Leo actually did end up building the rings of fire over the lake, much to the nymphs' annoyance. Percy let Jason watch the rehearsal, and even let him watch the final performance for free. It failed spectacularly. Percy didn't manage to jump through a single ring in the stupidly tight and violently pink mermaid costume he was wearing, then refused to take it off afterwards. He claimed it would "ruin the disguise, nobody's supposed to know I'm not an actual mermaid" as if everyone in the camp didn't know that already.

Leo declared him useless and offered 10 bucks to the camper who could actually jump though all five rings and any semblance of organisation flew out the window as half the camp jumped in the lake while Leo shouted out diving scores. Frank was promptly disqualified for sailing through all five rings as a dolphin and as Leo and Frank yelled at each other, Jason noticed Percy trying to army crawl towards him still with the ridiculous pink tail on.

"Perce man, take the thing off, nobody's paying attention to you anyway."

"Pick me up, sparky, I can't move," he smirked.

Jason rolled his eyes and scooped Percy up over his shoulder, ignoring his protests.

"Jasoooon, not like that, it hurts, carry me like the princess I am!"

"Hell fucking no. Why can't you take it off?"

Percy dug his elbows into Jason's back. He was soaking, but Jason didn't mind too much. He could feel him chuckling. "Take a look at the tail, Grace. S'too tight for anything underneath."

Jason felt his ears heating up and was glad that Percy was over his shoulder and couldn't see how red he'd definitely become.

"Did I do good? Was I a great mermaid?"

Jason dumped Percy on a bed in the Poseidon cabin, not that he could actually see the bed—Percy's stuff was littered on every available surface. He was going to offer a snarky comment or perhaps suggest that he could work on the hoop jumping but Percy was using his goddamn seal-puppy eyes and looked so hopeful sitting there with his ridiculous costume and half-smile.

"Epic, Perce. You did damn good and I'd pay to watch it again," Jason laughed. "Get the fucking tail off, people are talking about setting up a campfire."

"Uhhh, Jason... I need another favour. I can't get it off."

"You're fucking joking. How did you get in?"

"A lot of lube and swearing."

"You couldn't have, you know, put a zip or something on this stupid costume?"

"Don't be stupid, mermaids don't have zips," Percy pointed out.

Jason heaved a sigh and kicked a pair of Percy's gym shorts out of the way so he could kneel next to the bed. He could barely feel the seam between the latex and Percy's tanned skin. He peeled it back the tiniest bit and Percy hissed.

"What in Hades? Percy man, there's red lines on your skin, what size is this?"

"Kids. Extra Large," replied Percy, sheepishly.

Jason burst out laughing. "Fine. Turn around, I'll try roll it off."

He pulled at it violently, ignoring Percy's complaining. When Jason had just about managed to get it halfway down Percy's arse, Leo and Frank burst into the cabin still arguing about the 10 bucks Leo owed Frank.

"Holy Hephaestus, what in Dionysius' saggy left testicle is happening here?" Leo swore, while Frank simply turned around, cursing. Jason still hadn't got used to the Greeks' tendency to throw around the names of Gods like free candy.

"It's not what—" he began, red-faced, but Percy cut him off.

"What seems to be the problem here, fellas? Tell me, is it gay to help a homie out of a costume?"

"I am out," Frank turned on his heel and left. Jason didn't blame him, but the situation was pretty funny. Leo just pulled a pair of scissors out of his tool belt and began cutting, exposing Percy's bare arse.

It shouldn't have been a big deal. Percy and Leo were joking around, Percy whining about the lost costume and Leo scolding him for his piss-poor performance. Basically all of the guys had seen each other's junk, after all—in the locker rooms, showers, even the bathrooms. No, it shouldn't have been a big deal but Perseus Jackson was fucking beautiful and Jason couldn't help it. He looked everywhere except for Percy, wishing for the casual, easy friendship that Percy and Leo had.


	3. CHAPTER 3

Leo was concerned. Percy was taking the break up pretty badly, and he guessed he could understand why. Annabeth was his whole life. It had been over a month—they were all supposed to be leaving camp soon: Leo, Piper and Calypso for high school, Frank and Hazel for their legion in New Rome and Percy, Annabeth and Jason for college. And still, Percy hadn't spoken a single word to Annabeth.

He was in denial. Leo wasn't blind. He used to be crazy jealous of Percy and it wasn't because of his power, skill, or even his looks. It was his seemingly perfect relationship. And now Percabeth was no more, Percy was like a lost puppy.

Privately, Leo agreed with Annabeth's decision to split with him. While they were still together, Percy barely did anything without her and that couldn't be healthy. Annabeth always looked tired and serious and Leo assumed that was because of the war, but he'd realised it was more than that. Percy had admitted on one occasion that their sex-life had been piss-poor before the split and Leo suspected that was more Percy's fault than anything—he'd taken the war pretty badly and had turned to Annabeth as his sole form of therapy. Not that it was his fault but Percy was pretty messed up and his thoughts had been pretty dark, even before the split. While Leo was a fan of well-timed dark humour, Percy made jokes at his own expense more that would be considered healthy and often fell into long, depressive episodes which forced Leo to think of increasingly ridiculous activities to keep him entertained and his mind occupied. Still, Percy threw himself into them with more zest than was perhaps necessary.

And Annabeth looked so much happier now, probably because she wasn't being used as Percy's own personal agony aunt and mother rolled into one. Nope. That responsibility had fallen to Leo and Jason.

So Leo wasn't surprised when Percy came into the workshop, stormy-eyed and ranting. Sometimes, Leo forgot how scary Percy could look.

"What's up, bro?"

"Annabeth," he flopped down on the counter, ignoring the blueprints that were already there.

"You're gonna have to be more specific man."

"She's dumped me. Properly. We were technically on a break before but she said she's through and that we're better just as friends. And I gotta find another person to share a flat with in college," Percy buried his face in his hands in despair.

Shit. Leo could just about manage anger but tears? He was useless. Where the hell was Jason when he needed him?

"Leo, man. What the hell did I do? How do I fix it? I'm so fucking useless, what the hell is the point anymore," groaned Percy.

Leo held his tongue and refrained from pointing out that Percy had been avoiding Annabeth for a month. Unfortunately, he only knew two ways to cheer people up: one was cheap humour and the other hard work. "C'mon Plankton boy. That's okay, people move on. You can too. It's not like she's left your life completely; you guys are still friends. Anyway. Amigo. I want to redesign the workshop so it's more efficient next summer. Help me move some stuff around?"

Leo frowned as he watched Percy heave massive heaps of bronze around the workshop, the stony look on his face back. He was red-faced and definitely overworking himself—he'd been at it without stopping for three hours.

"Hey, Plankton. You wanna break?"

"I'm good."

"Dinner's in half an hour, bro. You stink. Go shower," Leo didn't know what to do with his friend. The boy was definitely taking his anger out on his work but it wasn't working as well as Leo had hoped—he in just as much of a bad mood as he was before. Leo didn't think it appropriate to crack a cheesy joke.

"Let me just finish this bit. I'm nearly done."

Leo didn't see any point in arguing. His mind was set.

***

Jason ran into Leo heading for dinner. His shoulders were slumped and he looked disheartened. "Hey man—hey, what's up?"

"You seen Percy anywhere?"

"No, why?"

"I told him to go to dinner but I have a feeling he didn't. Annabeth dumped him. Like, properly. No flatmate anymore. And... he's not taking it too well. I tried getting him to help me to take his mind off things but man it didn't fucking work," Leo looked anxious, hopping from foot to foot.

"Don't worry about it man, you tried. I can try find him now, get him to dinner. I'll see you."

Jason spotted Percy outside the shower block, talking to a woman. By the time Jason got to them, the woman had vanished.

"Perce. Who was that?"

Percy had clearly only just finished whatever work Leo had set him and it showed. He was red and his vest top was clinging to him with sweat. And Leo was right. He looked fuming.

"Persephone."

"What? The hell did she want from you?"

"Zeus knows. Scrap that, even he probably doesn't know."

"What did she say?"

"Something about my work? She said I did a good job in the war,"

"Okay but what did she say specifically?" Jason knew that while Greeks were definitely more buddy-buddy with the gods than Romans, they still definitely didn't drop by for no reason.

"Uhhh... that I was a hard worker? That I'm strong and can defend a woman? Fuck knows."

Jason face palmed. "By Jupiter, Perseus Jackson you're the densest person on this planet. She was flirting with you, dumbass."

"What?" his jaw dropped and Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, unsure whether to laugh or scold him.

"Percy. What did you tell her? That's Pluto's wife and I doubt he'll appreciate it."

"Nothing, I—oh shit. So that's what that muse wanted the other week," Percy looked so stunned to hear that someone was actually flirting with him and Jason wondered how the hell he'd managed to catch the attention of the Lord of the Underworld's wife with charisma like that. Never mind that Jason found his surprised expression cute as fuck.

"Just be careful Percy, you've made a name for yourself among gods. You don't want to get mixed in their shit again."

"Yeah, yeah I know..."

"You coming to dinner?"

"I gotta shower. Honestly, you can probably smell me from here I stink so bad," he pulled his sweat-drenched top off, leaving Jason trying not to stare at his slim waist and abs. It was easy to see why any goddess, or god for that matter, would be interested—despite his oblivious nature (which Jason totally didn't find endearing) Percy Jackson was the hero of not one, but two wars. He was known for his power and his cunning—he'd faced enemies with nothing but his wit. And that was even without his devastating good looks. He was lanky but all 6 feet of him was toned, leaned muscle and sun-kissed smooth skin. Even before he'd realised he liked Percy, Jason would find himself lost in Percy's clear green eyes that seemed to change with his mood.

Sure, Jason had his fair share of attention from nymphs, mortals and even a minor god once, but he wasn't on Percy Jackson's level. The boy was legendary—back on the Argo, Jason used to find himself frustrated with Percy's talent and thought he was jealous. Nope. Turns out he was just really, really gay.

"Sure thing man, I'll see you later."

But Percy didn't show up to dinner, despite Jason's hopes. Honestly, he wasn't all that surprised. What with Annabeth leaving him...

Jason grabbed a plate and loaded a bunch of food onto it, and an ungodly amount of dessert. Percy's appetite was infamous.

"Percy?" Jason let himself into the Poseidon cabin. It was dark inside. Percy was sprawled out on one of the bunks in his boxers, asleep. He was drooling, just like Annabeth said he did in his sleep.

Stepping in quietly, Jason pulled the used towel off the bedside table and gently set the plate down. He made to leave but he couldn't help himself—he paused and turned to look at Percy. He'd been crying. It was obvious. His face was streaked with dried tears.

He swallowed and made for the door but the click it made when it opened must have woken Percy up.

"Jason?"

"Shit, sorry Perce. Go back to sleep. I got you some food, it's on the table."

"Really?" Percy was definitely awake now. Jason marvelled at how surprised he sounded at the small act of kindness. He had so many friends and admirers that he should've expected that sort of kindness by now. The fact that he didn't broke Jason's heart. He supposed that like most other half-bloods, his upbringing was probably tough.

"Of course I did, bro. Hey Perce—"

"Yeah?"

"You need another flatmate? I'm sure Reyna won't mind having you around as well, she's already agreed to put up with me."

Percy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course, dumbass," Jason took his hand off the door handle and crossed to room to sit on Percy's bed next to him. "Why wouldn't I want to? You're my bro. Scoot over and toss me a cookie, I skipped desert. I brought my phone so we can watch a film if you want."

He genuinely looked so surprised and happy that Jason's heart melted. Percy fell asleep halfway through The Little Mermaid, using Jason's chest as a pillow. He was drooling all over his shirt. When the film finished, he tried to gently untangle himself from Percy's grip but sleepy Percy just muttered at him to stay because he was a warm pillow.

Jason was happy to oblige.


	4. CHAPTER 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boys in college <3

Percy was hyper as fuck and Jason was happy for that exact reason. As expected, Reyna didn't mind another flatmate in the slightest but Jason did warn Percy that there was no way he could get away with leaving their new place in the same state as the Poseidon cabin or Reyna would beat his ass black and blue.

Jason was honestly just relieved that Percy was excited to have a flat rather than regretful he wasn't sharing with Annabeth, like she'd promised him so many months ago. There were only two bedrooms in the flat, leaving Percy and Jason to fight it out with Reyna over who got the room with the en-suite. Percy won the rock paper scissors and it was theirs now, their own room in their own place.

"Open the window, Perce, or these fumes will kill us," Jason wiped an itch on his cheek with the back of his hand, before remembering that both of his hands were covered in blue paint and cursing.

Percy, alive with excitement, burst out laughing. "Fucking smurf."

"Like you can talk," teased Jason. "You, with paint on your nose, in your hair and all over your jeans. Pig."

Percy flicked his brush at Jason, who reflexively threw up his hands to shield his face. "Watch it, Plankton. Or this won't end well for you."

"Don't you two dare start a paint fight," Reyna stepped into their room holding three iced coffees. "Or I'm kicking you both out the day you moved in. How's it coming along?" she put the coffees down and opened the window, letting the summer breeze drift in.

"We'd get this done a lot faster if Percy stopped pissing about and actually painted, instead of dancing around the room. I swear, this is the third time we've listened to The Little Mermaid soundtrack."

"Hey!" protested Percy. "It's not my fault Under the Sea is an absolute tune!"

Reyna snorted. "Percy, even I could hear you screaming Poor Unfortunate Souls from outside. And for the record, I think you should stick to your talents Percy, because singing is definitely not one of them."

"Hey!"

But really, Jason thought moving in was getting along pretty damn well. There was only one queen-sized bed in the room, and Jason was glad that Percy had spent half the summer helping Leo out in his workshop. Percy had built a single bunk on top of the bed and they'd shoved the whole thing against the wall before tossing a coin for the bottom bunk—Jason won. Although he still didn't 100% trust Percy's workmanship and half-expected the top bunk not to fall on his head when he was sleeping.

They'd agreed on painting a sky-blue feature wall after Jason flat out refused to give in to Percy's wishes to paint the whole thing into a giant aquarium, complete with fishes and a mural of a dolphin. The wall was a compromise and Jason was more than happy with it. The colour was beautiful.

"This is epic bro. Like I'm actually going to college! I never thought I was gonna live this long, this is wild. Jason man, I didn't even think I'd make my 16th birthday, never mind my 18th. Now I'm in college... my mom's so proud of me."

Percy was beautiful lying on the dustsheet which was spread over the bed, shirtless and covered in blue paint and finally realising that it was alright—he'd made it through the war and he could open up and enjoy life again. He looked so happy.

Jason found himself smiling as he watched Percy rambling about his mum and his new baby sister and college and classes and everything.

"What?"

"Nothing," Reyna smirked and took a sip of her coffee. She looked smug, like she knew something Jason didn't. Jason didn't chase it any further because a distraction arrived in the form of Percy, lying with his head dangling off the bed, accidentally waterboarding himself with coffee.

Classes started and Percy's spirits didn't dip. Jason guessed that Percy was just getting used to the idea that he could actually let his guard down without fear of a monster attacking or gods making him go on quests or kidnapping his friends or even something seemingly trivial like bullies—Percy's learning difficulties were actually understood in a place where almost everyone was either ADHD or dyslexic. True, he was still giving Annabeth the cold shoulder and always plunged into moodiness after she tried speaking to him but there was nothing Jason could do about that. He spotted Annabeth's disappointed face when Percy casually ignored her around campus and Jason had to stop himself from thinking good riddance.

Jason usually woke up ages before Percy due to his years of vigorous Roman discipline and had to drag the lazy fucker out of bed 10 minutes before class started but when he did wake up early, Jason could count on it to find Percy in the kitchen with Reyna.

The first time Jason got out of bed and found Percy sitting on the counter chatting to Reyna, sweaty as hell, holding a bowl of cereal and in nothing but a pair of gym shorts, Jason felt an unmistakeable twinge of jealousy and wondered if Reyna and Percy had something going on. He reminded himself that they would never—they were just friends and besides, Percy wasn't over Annabeth. Then, he scolded himself inwardly for being selfish enough to be glad that Percy hadn't moved on and reminded himself that Percy's love life was absolutely none of his business. But he still took guilty satisfaction from the way Percy's eyes lit up and he swung his legs faster when he spotted Jason in the doorway.

Percy seemed to stick to Jason like a moth to light. Aside from insisting on walking Jason to class every day at the expense of being late to his own lessons, Percy had also memorised all of Jason's lectures and was, without failure, always waiting outside when they finished. He didn't miss the way Percy seemed pouty and his eyes clouded over when Jason talked to others for too long. Once, when Jason had opted to take his lunch break with Dakota, Percy gave him the cold shoulder for the whole afternoon.

He was still quiet and standoffish around new people but Jason was expecting that. Percy had admitted that letting down his guard was difficult around others was hard for him. And Jason knew that was how his brain was wired—in his short life, Percy had been tossed around by strangers way too many times, whether it was bullies in the stream of schools he'd been suspended from, to monsters and gods and even the people he thought he could trust. Jason had to gently persuade Percy that no, the captain of the college cheer team wasn't an Empousa and more than once had to put a comforting hand on his tense arm when a person he thought seemed off walked past. But Percy also clung to the people he trusted with his life as if he thought they'd leave at any moment. It was understandable. They'd both seen too many of their friends turn into traitors or die around them.

Jason suspected that was what drove Annabeth away—Percy followed her around like a lost puppy and barely did things for himself anymore. He was so consumed with the demons he'd collected within himself he hadn't noticed Annabeth drifting away from him. Reyna had let him in on that suspicion. She was a lot closer to Annabeth than Jason was and could properly hear her side of the story.

Leo, Pipes and Calypso visited every weekend they could spare. Leo, Jason, Percy, Frank and sometimes Piper could spend hours lounging around the TV playing stupid video games and messing around and eating junk food. Piper was hands-down the best at video games, especially 1st person shooters. She could even wipe Leo, much to his annoyance—he'd built the bloody console after all.

Even when they were all in a group, having a nonsensical lad conversation, Percy always sought out Jason's eyes first when he found something funny. He was always the first one Percy would talk to after class, always the first one to hear when Percy had a new idea or thought.

It even got to the stage that Jason convinced Percy to go to a party with him, despite his hatred of new people and crowds. Percy stuck to Jason's side for the most part but Jason lost track of him just before midnight—Jason supposed it was a good thing that Percy was opening up and turned to talk to Cassie, a girl in his Law class.

"So, Jason. Perseus Jackson, hmmm?"

"What do you mean?"

Cassie wiggled her eyebrows. "Your roommate is unbelievably hot. Are you guys together?"

"What? No," said Jason quickly, thankful that the colourful lighting was enough to conceal his blush.

"Aw, really? The boy's always waiting for you outside of class and he drops you off every day. And you guys are so... touchy feely. And he ignores everyone else who tries talking to him," she insisted.

"He's my bro, Cassie. How would you know that anyway? Has someone got a crush?"

"C'mon, you'd have to be blind not to notice how gorgeous the boy is. I've been trying to get his attention for weeks and so have half the girls on campus," she giggled. "But he only ever talks to you. What's his deal? Does he think he's too good for us?"

It made Jason irrationally mad at her but he struggled to conceal his annoyance. It was only obvious that other girls would be eying him up.

"He's just been through a nasty break up and needs some space," Jason told her, gritting his teeth.

"Oh yeah, Annabeth, of course. Why the hell would she break up with him? He's basically a god. Is he actually really stuck up?"

Cassie was pissing him off. Jason excused himself as quickly as possible and tried to find someone else to talk to. He knew he shouldn't be jealous of other girls liking Percy—they actually had a chance with him at least. Cassie was good looking for a girl, Jason supposed.

Jason couldn't find Percy anywhere and eventually gave up and went back to their flat. Maybe Percy actually found someone to disappear into the night with. But to Jason's surprise, the dark-haired boy was already asleep when he returned to their flat.

And he'd already left the flat when Jason woke up in the morning. After some asking around, he found out that Percy had gone to join in with the war games and unsurprisingly, was in the process of single-handedly wiping out the entire Roman legion. He was out all day, returned late and went straight to bed, ignoring Jason. That hurt. Jason didn't know what he'd done to upset him but decided not to disturb him sleeping.

In the morning, Percy was already gone. For the first time since the start of term, Jason walked to class alone with a heavy heart. He stood outside of the lecture theatre half-heartedly pretending to join in with a conversation. He wasn't really listening until Percy's name came up.

"Yeah, Percy joined in with the war games yesterday."

"Is that even allowed? He's not in the legion anymore."

"I don't know but the boy is bloody good at it. I was watching. But he's also a fucking idiot, or really cocky,"

"What?" Jason was suddenly engaged.

"Yeah, after he wiped out half the legion by himself he tried taking on 3 hellhounds head-on at the same time instead of just getting past them like he was supposed to."

"What?" Jason was going to kill Percy. "Did he manage?"

"Somehow, yes," the guy he was speaking to shook his head in disbelief. "Didn't even use his powers, he just went straight in with only a sword,"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, finished them in about 5 minutes. Fights like he's invincible. Apparently, he used to be—he's rumoured to have swum in the Styx. But he's not anymore and his attack was basically suicidal. He spent the whole afternoon in the hospital wing. A hellhound gave him a motherfucker of a scratch on his side."

"WHAT?"

"I know right Jason, he's probably more powerful than you."

Jason's face darkened. "Believe me I know he definitely is. But I'm going to kill the fucker, what's he doing trying to get himself killed?"

"Where is he anyway? Doesn't he normally walk you to class?"

"I don't know," he snapped. Jason barely paid any attention in the bloody lecture. He was out of the door the second it ended and storming towards where he knew Percy had his lesson. He caught sight of Percy's dark, wild hair disappearing into a hall and dashed after him.

"Perseus Jackson, you stop right there!"

Percy attempted to ignore him. Jason seized his shoulders from behind and pinned him into the wall. The hall was lofty and tall, and dotted with statues. Mercifully, it was empty—very few classes were held in that wing of New Rome College.

"Jason, what the fuck?" Percy squirmed but Jason's grip on his shoulders was strong. He wasn't meeting Jason's eyes.

"No Percy, what the fuck is wrong with you?" spat Jason, hitting him with a sharp glare. "War games, Percy? 3 hellhounds at once? Hospital wing?"

"It's not a big deal. You're not my mum," still, Percy refused to let his sea-green eyes meet Jason's.

"Percy," there was a hint of desperation in Jason's voice. He yanked Percy's T-shirt up, exposing his torso and sure enough there was a long white scar running from underneath his left pec down to his hipbone. It had healed itself nicely with the help of ambrosia but it was clear it was deep before—it looked furrowed and painful and the sides were still red. Without thinking, Jason ran a finger down it.

Percy shivered slightly. "Ouch, Jason. It's fine, I've had worse."

"But why? Why would you do that?"

"I don't know. It's fine. I'm late to class."

"Percy," growled Jason, caging him in more. "I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me what the hell possessed you to be such an idiot. And why you're avoiding me. Is is because of this?" he ran his thumb over the raised skin on his ribcage again.

He swallowed, eyes flicking between Jason's hand on his bare chest and a point over his shoulder. "I got bored."

"You got bored?" Jason was only inches away from Percy's face, forcing him to look into his eyes. He was fuming. "You got bored? So decided to try and get yourself killed?"

"Jason, I—" he swallowed again. Jason watched his Adam's apple bob and tried not to focus too much on his lips. They were full as usual and red, as if he'd been biting them. "I'm sorry, I just—"

"You just what?"

There was a pause. Percy seemed to be fishing around for words. He finally met Jason's eyes and again, Jason was breath-taken by their colour. But suddenly, they both heard footsteps in the hall and both boys sprang apart, startled, and in good time too: their position, with Jason backing him against a wall and one hand up his shirt, looked somewhat suspicious. Jason hadn't realised his world had narrowed down to just Percy. And in some ways, he was glad for the interruption because Jason had been very close to doing something stupid, like kissing the dumbass.

Percy turned and hurried off to class before Jason could stop him, leaving Jason to trudge back to their flat to spend his free period bitching to Reyna about Perseus Jackson, the insufferable git.

To his surprise, Percy was waiting for him outside his last lecture of the day. It was true, what Cassie said: he was either ignoring, or was completely oblivious to the people trying to get his attention and, slouching on the opposite wall clutching his books to his chest, his gaze went straight to Jason. Except this time, instead of the bright smile Jason was always greeted with, Percy looked slightly nervous.

"Jason?"

Jason just looked at him, still mad.

"Look, I know what I did yesterday was stupid..."

"You can say that again," muttered Jason, as the boys turned around to walk back to their dorm.

"But I don't know. I feel stupid and useless with nothing to do," Percy kicked a pebble on the ground out of frustration. "I want to be prepared. I don't know, all my life I just wanted to make it into college and have some peace and quiet but no. Jason, why am I so on edge all the fucking time?" he burst out. "I feel like I'm just using borrowed time and the worlds gonna bloody end in the next six months anyway, the fucking gods will be back on their bullshit—"

"Hey. Perce. Look at me," Jason stopped walking for a second to put a hand on Percy's shoulder to turn him around. "We're demigods Percy. Life was never gonna be peaceful. Of course we're going to struggle and of course this isn't the last time the gods and monsters will piss us off and that's just a fact of life. But it's not a reason to be reckless and die playing war games, of all things."

"I know," Percy turned away again. "But I don't know what the hell to do with myself. I needed to do something but honestly I don't know why I did that of all things."

"Bullshit," said Jason softly. "Why were you avoiding me Percy? I don't think it was because you wanted to hide your fucking recklessness."

Percy shrugged and opened their door, chucking his books all over the kitchen table.

"Percy, please. I want to know why," Jason didn't know why he was being so touchy-feely but he reached out to take hold of Percy's wrist again, gently but firmly.

"I'm annoying," replied Percy, quietly, his eyes flicking everywhere except Jason.

"Yeah. And?" Jason moved his hand up to cup Percy's face with a small smile. "So what? You're irritating, what's that got to do with anything?"

"At the party. You left me. I thought maybe you found me annoying hanging around all the time." 

"I don't. I like your company, dumbass. You're my best friend."

"I saw you talking to other people. To some girl. I thought maybe needed some space like Annabeth. Some time away from me," Percy didn't meet Jason's eyes.

"Perce. I would never," Jason sighed and gathered the smaller boy into a hug. He could smell his windswept hair and it smelled exactly like Percy—slightly salty and a touch of cologne. "You're my best mate."

"Annabeth was my girlfriend," said Percy quietly, into Jason's shoulder. "I thought she'd be with me forever."

"She still cares, Perce. Just not... like that anymore. But just please don't ignore me again, and especially don't go and die doing something stupid. Promise?" Jason gave a shaky laugh.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, okay."

Percy was so fucking confusing. As Jason stood there in the kitchen and held him, he couldn't figure out if Percy was acting jealous, or just needing a best friend to rely on. Because Percy was definitely not into guys. Nope.


	5. CHAPTER 5

"Gods, Pipes, shut up," groaned Jason, leaning backwards into the couch. When Piper and Leo said they were visiting, this was not how Jason expected to spend their time.

The girl crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at him. "Not until you admit it."

"There's nothing to admit," Jason scowled, adamantly.

"Precious," giggled Leo. "Look, he's blushing."

"Am not," Jason snapped, feeling his cheeks growing redder by the second.

"Yes you are," smirked Reyna, choosing that moment to walk in, holding snacks. "Why's he blushing Piper?"

"He's trying to deny his crush on Percy. C'mon Jason, my mum's Aphrodite. I'm not completely thick."

With a smile, Reyna threw Piper a bag of Cheetos. "You don't need to be a daughter of Aphrodite to see it. It's obvious."

"Alright, fine," Jason snapped. "Say, theoretically, I did. How the hell does one seduce a straight guy? It's fucking hopeless."

"He's probably not completely straight, you know," said Piper, cheerfully. "Most demigods are bi or pan, just like their godly parents who fuck anything with legs."

"What? Pipes, are you gay?"

Piper smirked. "Oh, you'd be surprised. I don't know what it is about godly blood affecting who you wanna fuck, but the majority of demigods are as bendy as French horns. As the old motto goes, any hole's a goal. Of course there are exceptions, like you, who are 100% homo, or Leo, who's straight as fuck, or so he tells me at least. But otherwise..."

Jason was shocked. "Really? Reyna, did you know this?"

Reyna only smirked and winked at Piper. "Perhaps."

"Did you—did you two—last time Piper came to visit, at that party?" his jaw dropped. "You guys hooked up?"

Reyna and Piper's smirks only deepened.

"Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Where is Kelphead anyways?" yawned Leo, turning on the TV.

"He's uhhhh... he met a blonde chick. He's at her place. Probably... you know. Shagging," sighed Jason, preferring not to talk about it. When he'd told Percy to open up a bit and meet new people, becoming a notorious fuckboy was not what he had in mind. But Percy had taken it in his stride. And Jason was certain that Percy was one of those rare 100% straight half-bloods.

"Shit, man. I'm sorry," said Leo, leaning forwards to rub Jason's back. "He didn't seem the type."

"Yeah," sighed Jason. "He saw Annabeth making out with some fit dude at a party. Didn't take it too well. I suggested he try move on and meet more people and here we are."

Reyna rolled her eyes but patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "You're both useless."

"Gee, thanks Reyna. Real comforting."

Jason remembered last week's party vividly. Percy had looked so hurt, like a kicked puppy when he'd seen them: Annabeth and some random guy in the corner making out like there was no tomorrow. Without thinking, Jason had dropped the guy he was talking to and dragged Percy the hell out of that party even though it was still early in the night.

Percy had allowed Jason to pull him out of there without resistance but when they'd hit the cold night air outside, he'd shrugged Jason away and started striding towards their apartment, leaving Jason to hurry afterwards. Jason caught up at the door, where Percy was struggling with the key.

"Perce?"

Percy gave the door one last, desperate kick then slumped against it in defeat. He had a stony face and his jaw was clenched tight—he looked intimidating, but he also looked like he was trying hard not to cry.

"Let me," Jason pulled Percy's key out and turned it the right way up, then tried again. The door opened without resistance.

Without another word, Percy stormed into the apartment and into their bedroom. Jason followed, hesitantly. When he entered, Percy had stripped down to his boxers and was climbing up into his bunk. Jason didn't even scold Percy for leaving his dirty clothes on the floor. He knew Percy wouldn't care.

Jason didn't know what to do with himself apart from go to bed as well. He didn't feel like going back to the party. And he could tell Percy didn't want to be bothered. But just as he was drifting to sleep, Jason heard the unmistakeable sound of a muffled sob in the bunk above him.

Jason stood up on his bunk and leaned over to where Percy was. "Perce?"

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Thought you were asleep."

"You can cry if you want. I'm not judging you."

"Jason," he'd said in a small voice. "Jason, it's been over two months. Why aren't I over her?"

Jason looked at him there, huddled in the covers in the dark, looking so, so lost and his heart almost broke. "You loved her."

"But she didn't love me?"

"Of course she did. But people move on. You guys changed after the war. Percy, maybe it's time you move on too."

"Move on?"

"Yeah. Get out there. Meet some new people, maybe you'll find someone else to love."

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's plenty of people interested in you, Perce, you're just too blind to see it." Jason wanted to add including me but he knew he couldn't.

"Huh," Percy seemed to consider it. He still seemed doubtful that anyone could ever like him—apparently he was oblivious to that at the best of times but after Annabeth had left him...

"Jason, can I—can you..." he swallowed. "Can I have a hug?" he'd asked in a small voice.

Jason sighed. "Course, Perce," then he'd swung his leg over the top bunk and climbed into Percy's bed, listening to the boy he loved crying about an ex. It fucking hurt.

And by the next day, Percy had already found a cute blonde to take to bed with him.

***

It was early on a Sunday morning and Jason was sleeping in for once. Percy hadn't returned last night—Jason assumed he was out drinking again and probably with another chick.

"Jason!" shrieked Percy, throwing Jason out of his peace. He threw the curtains open, blinding Jason with late October morning sunshine.

"Fuck offfffff."

"Jason, get up, get up..."

"The fuck do you want?" Jason sat up in bed, running his hand through his hair. Percy looked like absolute shite—he was wearing his clothes from last night and they were crumpled, and the kid had dark circles under his eyes. But still, somehow, he was gorgeous. "Where were you last night, Perce?"

"On the couch," he said dismissively. "I was with a girl and I didn't want to sleep over."

"Why?"

He made a face. "Feels wrong, you know. And I was pretty drunk, I didn't want to wake you up."

"Oh," Jason was touched. "You don't have to, I don't mind."

"Anyways," announced Percy. "I have a problem."

"What?"

"My mum's getting married in 2 weeks. Come with me?"

"What?"

"Pleaseeeee?"

"Uhhh... sure," Jason was stumped. This was not the kind of bullshit he was expecting at 9am on a Sunday.

"And Jason..."

"What?"

"I don't have a tux."

"Shit, neither do I. Fuck. Perce, have you got a car?"

And that was how Jason found himself pulled over at the side of the highway for the third time, while a hung-over Percy puked in a ditch.

"Percy, how much did you drink?" sighed Jason, not really expecting an answer as Percy retched outside the car.

"Too much," he replied, weakly.

Presently, Percy got back into the car. Jason couldn't help but be concerned. "Percy, don't you think you've been overdoing it recently? You go though like 2 girls every bloody week and you regularly go to class hung-over."

"I'm trying to you know... open up. Meet more people."

Percy really truly sounded like shit. Medics refused to give out nectar to treat hangovers, which was fair enough. Hopefully a couple painkillers and a coffee would fix him up when they got to the mall.

Jason pulled into the car park. "Bro, when I said open up and meet new people I didn't mean fuck your way through the whole campus and destroy your liver."

Percy just shrugged.

"Do you even remember what the girl's name was?"

"Uhhh... in my defence, I was really drunk. I don't think I asked her name."

Jason rolled his eyes so hard he was surprised they didn't fall out and slammed the door shut harder than was necessary. Listening to Percy dismissively talk about all the girls he'd put his dick into made him irrationally mad. Jason was no stranger to one night stands but Percy was taking the concept of 'fuckboy' to a whole level. He suspected Percy was using it as an unhealthy coping mechanism.

"Jason..." he whined, struggling to catch up and holding his head. "My head hurts."

"Who's fault is that, Jackson?" but Jason couldn't help notice that even hung-over, Percy still looked like some sort of Greek god. He hadn't brushed his hair but it still looked effortlessly tousled. At least the dark bags under his eyes and his slouched posture disappeared after an aspirin and a coffee, courtesy of Jason.

"Percy, I just don't think excessive drinking and partying and generally being a slag is healthy. Alcohol is not the answer," sighed Jason, watching Percy chug the coffee.

"C'mon Jason, it's a great way to drown your sorrows."

Jason bit his lip and dropped it. Maybe he was overreacting because of his own, stupid crush. It was normal for college kids to fuck and drink, after all.

Buying tuxedos took very little time and happened without incident. But fuck, they were expensive. At least Jason wasn't broke—his mother had left him a shit ton in her will. But Percy definitely looked concerned looking at the prices of the suits. Jason knew that his family had always struggled financially.

"Percy. Don't worry about it. Whatever you can't pay for, I've got it."

"No, Jason, I'm fine. You really don't have to," he looked embarrassed.

"Hey," he said softly. "Don't feel bad about it, my mum left me more money than I know what to do with."

The lady at the till congratulated them when they went up to pay and told them that they were the best looking couple she'd ever seen. Neither of them bothered correct her, just smiled and thanked her. She was right, Jason supposed—he's never seen Percy in a suit before and he looked drop-dead gorgeous.

"Anyways," Percy waved his chopsticks in Jason's face, chewing on the (vegetarian) sushi that Jason had insisted on buying for the both of them. They were still in the mall and it was all surprisingly normal, except for the fact that it all seemed suspiciously like a date even though Jason knew it wasn't. They had seen a stray monster once, but it was minding its own business and fled when Percy winked at it.

"Anyways. How's your love life, Jason? Since you broke up with Pipes? Have you been dating, or meeting girls? How about the blonde girl you were talking to at that party?"

Jason choked on his sushi. "Percy, I don't go out with girls."

He frowned. "What do you mean? You definitely hook up with them, you don't come home sometimes."

"Percy, I'm gay. I fuck men."

Percy was silent for a moment and Jason thought he freaked him out or made him uncomfortable. He panicked for a second, thinking that he'd destroyed a friendship or that Percy was going to get weirded out by having a gay roommate, especially one he was really close to.

"Oh. I didn't know that. I didn't think you'd... you know."

Fuck, the boy was oblivious. "Why did you think I broke up with Piper?"

"I thought it was just because you guys didn't work in a relationship."

"She's amazing Perce, and she definitely liked me. Totally would've dated her if I had any sexual or romantic attraction to her at all. Hera's good at matchmaking but she didn't consider I just don't like girls at all."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Bro, I thought you knew. Literally everyone else has figured it out by now."

"Oh," he still looked shocked. Jason burst out laughing at his lost expression, and the way he was slowly putting all the clues together. It was hard to think that this boy actually looked bloody scary half the time.

Thankfully, the idiot recovered fairly quickly and assured Jason that he really could not give less of a shit about his sexuality. Then, he proceeded to spontaneously drag Jason into a shop to get his ears pierced.

"C'mon, I've always wanted a piercing, they look epic."

"Perseus, I don't want to be the one who has to explain to your mother why you have a fucking lip piercing. Ears only. And I know you haven't thought about it before, come back in a month when you've decided you actually want it."

"Killjoy," he scowled, but settled on his earlobes only. Jason held his hand through the piercing, laughing at Percy's childish look of horror when the assistant pulled out the gun. After all the boy had been through, an ear piercing scared him.

"C'mon, you gotta get one too now," grinned Percy, the second it was over.

"Absolutely not."

"Just one ear? Please?" Percy gave him massive puppy dog eyes.

Jason struggled to keep the scowl on his face. Fuck Percy and his seal puppy eyes. "No."

"Please?"

Jason got his right lobe pierced. In fairness, it looked damn good.

Of course, Sally Jackson scolded her adult son before the wedding anyway, but then cried about how handsome he looked. Jason agreed. When Percy pulled his tux on on the morning of the wedding, he looked so out of place in the cheap motel they'd booked to stay the night in Newark. The simple black design showed off his slim figure perfectly and his hair was windswept as usual.

"You gonna brush your hair, Perce?"

"Course," he squinted into the mirror as he put simple black studs in his ears. It looked good. Jason swallowed and tried to stop staring.

The wedding itself was small, and simple. Percy and Jason were there, and Chiron and a few of her new husband's family and a couple of friends. It was held in a small but beautifully decorated church.

When the dancing began, Jason stood on the side watching Percy dance with his mum. He looked like he was having the time of his life—and to his surprise, Percy could actually dance. Really well. It was probably his mum who taught him, judging by the way she twirled gracefully across the dance floor.

Jason was completely happy just watching Percy spin across the floor while he made small talk with Mr Blofis, who was evidently watching his new wife with tears in his eyes. Apparently he used to be Percy's teacher, which must have been awkward. Jason wondered if he knew about the whole demigod bullshit—he must have done. He was way too involved in Percy's life for him not to.

"Jason, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me. Pleasure to meet you Mr Blofis," Jason shook his hand.

"Are you guys...?"

"Percy's my room mate and best friend," smiled Jason, without missing a beat. He'd anticipated this and recently had a lot of practise telling people that no, he unfortunately wasn't dating Percy Jackson. It was a bit depressing really, but it only hurt a little bit now.

"Jason!" Percy took that moment to dash over, face flushed in excitement. "Jason, dance with me."

Jason rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be whisked onto the dance floor with him. Percy laughed, automatically adopting the following role and allowing Jason to dip him, giving Jason an opportunity to once again admire his laughing green eyes.

It got late all too quickly, leaving Jason to drive himself and a slightly tipsy Percy back to Mrs Jackson's house to put Percy's 4-month old sister to sleep. Estelle seemed to like Jason but fuck, taking care of a baby, feeding her and getting her to sleep was bloody hard work.

With a groan, Jason flopped down on the armchair. He hadn't even gotten around to taking the bloody tux off.

"Jason..." Percy unceremoniously dumped his lanky frame on Jason's lap. "You never told me you could dance."

"Neither did you," chuckled Jason sleepily, instinctively wrapping an arm around Percy's waist. Percy snuggled into Jason's chest. He was warm. Before they knew it, they'd both fallen fast asleep right there on the armchair.

***

It was almost 3am when Sally Jackson returned. Paul reached for the lights but Sally stopped him, gesturing towards the two boys sleeping on the armchair. Her boy looked so content lying there on Jason's chest, happily drooling all over his shirt. Jason's arm was wrapped around his waist protectively while Percy clung to his side like a koala.

Paul raised his eyebrow. "And here I was, under the impression that they were roommates and best friends and nothing else."

With a smile, Sally continued to watch her sleeping son. He'd grown so much and been through too much for his young age and left her scared to death half the time, whether he meant to or not. "For now, maybe."

"He hasn't told us he's gay."

Sally smiled at her husband. "He probably doesn't know it yet. But the last time I was so sure about something it was with Annabeth, and I knew he liked her years he knew it himself."

Gently, she ran a hand over his cheek. He only snored a little and rearranged his legs on Jason's lap. It hurt, having a demigod child: she loved him with every bit of her heart and she couldn't help worry every second he was away even though she knew she had to let him have his freedom. Fighting monsters was one thing—that shook her to the core and she suspected that Percy always toned down everything he told her anyway. Then he'd disappeared for 8 months and nearly died multiple times again and she'd been so relieved to have him back it hurt. She kept having to remind herself that the boy in front of her had grown into an adult—who, granted, still asked her to send blue cookies every month—and was in college. She'd never been more proud.

True, she thought she'd be half dependent on Annabeth to make sure the idiot did his homework and remembered to do the dishes but then Annabeth had called her tearfully, saying she's broken up with Percy. Sally wasn't mad, but concerned for Percy—she knew how much he relied on Annabeth and her level head as his impulse control. But it seemed she didn't need to worry. She saw the way he turned to Jason with a carefree smile on his face.

Sally was almost ready for bed when she thought she heard Estelle cry a little. "I'll get it," she whispered to her husband, who was already in bed.

But she paused outside the room—turned out, she didn't have to worry about it. Jason, still in his suit, had beaten her to it. She watched in silence, a smile on her face, while the son of Jupiter held the giggling child and cooed until she fell asleep. Once the baby was quietly back in her cot, Jason made his way back to the armchair and gently lifted a slightly-snoring Percy from the armchair.

It was true, Sally thought—many of her wedding guests had commented on the striking good looks of her son and his 'boyfriend'. They both looked beautiful, walking through the dimly lit room and into Percy's. Sally wondered if Percy had noticed Jason yet, with his strong jaw, straight nose and stormy brow, which melted into an expression of tenderness when he looked at Percy. Probably not. He was so oblivious. It had taken forever for him to realise he wanted to date Annabeth.

Jason set Percy down on the bed and pulled his jacket off, hanging it in the cupboard neatly. Sally approved. If anyone could keep her son grounded, it was Jason. He tucked Percy into the bed, which was getting way too small for him—it fit when he was a scrawny 12-year-old, not so much now—and, after shrugging his own jacket off, lay down on the floor next to the bed. Sally was about to march in and insist she pulled out a camp bed for him, but a sleepy Percy reached out to him and whispered something, tugging him towards the bed.

She watched him huff a small laugh and climb into the tiny bed with Percy and pull Percy into his arms again. Her son snuggled back into him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Sally closed their door as quietly as she could and smiled to herself. She definitely shipped it.


	6. CHAPTER 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cheeky bit of explicit content o_o  
> kinda short tho

Percy didn’t know what it was about Jason with a piercing and a suit but once he was struck by how attractive his best friend was, he couldn’t stop noticing it. It was bloody annoying. There was something about being spun around the dance floor, with Jason’s smirking face and sharp blue eyes, clear like ice, or like the summer sky, inches above him and the confounded silver earring dangling from right there that forced Percy to truly appreciate Jason’s classic beauty. 

Or maybe it was the fact that Jason liked guys that encouraged Percy to check him out. Percy had always assumed he was straight until suddenly, he started noticing how nice Jason’s ass looked in a suit and found himself staring at Jason’s broad, muscular shoulders from across the room. And remembering the way it felt to be pinned against a wall by those powerful arms, when Jason was mad at him for getting injured… and the way he felt trapped by Jason’s steely gaze. Fuck. 

Even in the morning after his mum’s wedding, watching Jason flipping blue pancakes shirtless, holding Estelle in one hand and laughing with his mum and Paul made Percy feel all warm inside. Estelle was laughing as Jason effortlessly bounced her up and down at the same time as mixing blue batter. 

He was effortlessly polite and charming when he spoke to Percy’s mum and step-dad and Percy could tell they liked Jason a lot. They all laughed as they played the ‘congratulations’ hologram that Leo had sent in behalf of all the demigods that Percy’s mum had let stay in her house at some point or another. Jason even sang along when Leo’s hologram started blaring their gods-awful rendition of “I’m sorry Ms Jackson”, where Percy’s friends were apologising for not being able to make her wedding, for always eating more blue cookies than his mum could bake and for using the house as a pit stop on quests. Percy’s heart jumped a bit when he heard Annabeth’s singing part but he didn’t mind too much, not when Jason was laughing like that. 

The final straw for Percy was when he accidentally walked in on Jason wanking. Percy was hung-over, again, after a night of drinking and making out with a random cute blonde who looked a little like Annabeth. Jason probably hadn’t expected Percy to be awake. Their en-suite didn’t have a lock and it had never been a big enough deal to get one installed—if the shower was on, the other just wouldn’t enter. And in all honestly, they’d seen each other naked enough times for it not to matter. 

But when Percy stumbled for the bathroom and opened the door, he forgot about any headache he had. Jason was in the shower, his naked body on display, face flushed and head thrown back in an expression of ecstasy. He didn’t notice Percy. 

Percy closed the door quickly and hurried to use Reyna’s bathroom instead but the image remained branded in the front of his mind and he couldn’t get rid of it all day. Even Clarisse La Rue, who sat next to him in class, noticed something was up. It was a complete coincidence they were both there but Percy had long since gotten used to her presence. At the start of term, he was gobsmacked that Clarisse was taking marine biology—he didn’t know she could read. To be fair, she was equally displeased to see him there. 

But since then, their old rivalry had tamed into something more mellow as they sat at the back of lectures and pissed off Professor Ebbage together. He could rely on her not to try flirting with him at least and to his surprise, she’d grown out of her bullying and was actually pretty funny. 

He fidgeted even more than usual through his lecture about ecosystems and all but sprinted to meet Jason after his lecture, before remembering that he was going to have to face him. He didn’t know that Percy had seen him but Percy was still wondering how the hell he was going to look him in the eye normally when the image of Jason’s naked body made him flustered as hell. 

He was definitely awkward and to his annoyance, blushing around Jason. It was normal to be awkward around someone you’d seen masturbating by accident, right? 

“Perce? You alright? You’ve shut up for once and you’ve barely touched your food.” 

Percy jumped guiltily, mind casting around for excuses. “Yeah, uhhh, I’m just tired from last night. That’s all.” 

“Bro, I told you to stop drinking on school nights,” his steady gaze fixed Percy to the spot. He was struck again by their clear colour, several shades lighter than Thalia’s electric blue. 

“Yeah, I know,” mumbled Percy. 

He stumbled into their room once Jason was in his next lecture and sank to the floor, Jason’s face still resolutely burned in his mind. Jason and his stern expression when he was thinking. The face he made when he was angry, when he pulled his eyebrows straight and into a hood over his eyes, like a wolf, the expression that Percy was secretly scared of and made him weak in the knees. His laughing face, when his normally icy eyes shone brighter and looked more like the sky. Or how soft he looked when he was sleeping, the face Percy would look up and see whenever they fell asleep together—his slightly parted lips, brow relaxed for once, making him seem younger and softer, and his fluffy sleep-hair which was usually cut and styled to Roman regulations but curled slightly in an adorable way when he washed the gel out. 

And Jason’s face when Percy had seen him that morning—wet hair slicked back, head thrown back, eyes shut and pink lips parted in pleasure… Percy pulled his own half-hard dick out remembering it. He thought about the scar on his lip and imagined running his tongue over it and thought about the way Jason’s Adam’s apple bobbed when his head was thrown back, revealing the expanse of pale skin on his neck that was just begging to be kissed hard enough to bruise. 

Percy pictured Jason’s strong shoulders and full pecs, tanned a light gold from the summer and flushed with arousal. He remembered the way that the water from the shower shone in the early morning light and trickled down the veins on his strong arms and off his torso, over his perfectly sculpted abs and back and over the arse that Percy had seen so many times but never appreciated before. And the image of Jason’s calloused hands wrapped around his erection, flushed dusky rose. Percy’s breath hitched as he imagined taking that length into his mouth and running his tongue over the vein underneath while Jason knotted his hands in his hair. 

Percy came with Jason’s name on his lips, infinitely glad that there was nobody else in the house. 

He cleaned up quickly. The second he’d recovered from his orgasm, the waves of shame hit him. He was a perv. He’d just rubbed one off thinking about sucking off his best friend. 

Who happened to be a guy. 

Fuck. 

If Jason found out, Percy knew he would lose the person who’d steadily become the most important person in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the pining's both ways now :D


	7. Chapter 7

"Jason. Jason, look," a very drunk Percy slung his arm over Jason's shoulder.

"What?"

They were in yet another goddamn college party and Jason was fucking bored. He'd just received the worst blowjob of his life in the fucking bathroom and he'd walked out before coming. Whatever alcohol he'd accepted tasted like absolute shit and hadn't succeeded in getting him fucked up and now he felt sick. The loud music pumping out of the speakers made his head hurt and he'd to reject the advances of more pissed girls and guys than he thought possible.

Reyna had stopped talking to him and was uncharacteristically making out with a random uni 3rd year in the corner, while Dakota lay on the floor next to her, clutching his Kool-Aid and vodka infusion and staring up her skirt looking like someone had knocked whatever brain cells he had left the fuck out. It stank strongly like pot and by the looks of things, some of the Mercury kids had got hold of MDMA. Strict discipline in the Roman legion normally led to very soft drug culture in New Rome college but evidently some wanted to break away from their intensive training and started experimenting.

"Jason. Jason, look," giggled Percy again, pointing towards the Mercury kid who was evidently off his head. His pupils were so obviously dilated that they could see it from across the dark room.

"Yeah, I see him."

"Can I try? Do you think he'll give me some?" Percy slumped against Jason's arm.

"Absolutely not," replied Jason sternly. "You're wasted already, bro. C'mon, Perce, safe drug use."

Privately, Jason didn't think giving Percy access to any other drug was a good idea. The kid was already regularly getting pissed three times a week and Jason already suspected it was a coping mechanism. Introducing drug use wasn't smart.

Presently, they were accosted by another group of girls and Percy was distracted. Jason sighed and slammed his cup back down on the table, trying to ignore the brunette who'd gotten her tits out next to him. Then he gave up went to the bathroom, more to block out the noise for a second than anything else. The tiles were cool on his cheek but he was kicked out sooner then he'd have liked by a son of Hephaestus knocking the door down and making a beeline for the toilet.

Jason swept the room for Percy to check if the idiot was passed out anywhere and needed to be carried home again or if he was with another girl. But to his shock, Jason spotted Percy being backed into the corner by none other than Annabeth, wearing shorts and a revealing crop top. Fuck, that made him mad. Jason felt jealously flare in his veins and was storming towards them before he could control himself, clenching his fists in an attempt to quell the sparks flicking between his fingers.

Percy looked uncomfortable as hell. Actually, that was an understatement—he looked fucking terrified, eyes darting everywhere for an escape, jaw clenched in that characteristic way of his that showed he was panicking but trying to keep cool.

"Percy," Jason swooped in, roughly pushing Annabeth away. She stumbled against the wall, definitely drunk. He would have shouted at her then and there but Percy looked so done that he knew it had to wait. Without another word, Jason practically manhandled Percy out of there.

"Jason," he mumbled, against his side. "Jason, stop."

Dutifully, Jason paused to let Percy throw up in someone's trashcan and supported his trembling body. He looked tired and pale.

"Fucking hell Perce, you really need to know your limits. What the hell happened back there?" he was part exasperated and part fuming at Annabeth for making Percy uncomfortable. He was half tempted to go back then and there, and shout at her in front of everyone, but the cold November air sobered him up a bit.

Percy was shivering in his T-Shirt by the time they reached their apartment and Jason got his shoes off. He stumbled straight for the bathroom, leaving Jason to grab him a glass of water. Percy looked worse then he'd ever seen him in the harsh, flickering light of their bathroom. It made his usually tanned skin look paler than ever against the white tiles and Jason realised he'd lost a bit of weight as well—he'd neglected his training recently and skipped evening meals in favour of getting fucked.

Finally, he groaned, leaned back against the tiled wall and accepted the glass of water Jason gave him.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Perce?" said Jason quietly, watching his best mate shiver against the cold tiles.

"I don't know."

"You're worrying me."

"I know," it might have been Jason's imagination but he thought he saw a tear spill from his eye. It was difficult to tell with the fluorescent light and with Jason's head still spinning from the disgusting thing he'd drank in an attempt to loosen up a bit.

Jason dumped Percy onto his own bottom bunk, lacking the strength to lift him to the top. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. He stood up again, perhaps to go and yell at Annabeth for leading him on and making him uncomfortable, but Percy seemed to sense the weak waves of anger rolling of his friend and pulled him back.

"Leave it, Jason," he sounded sad. "Stay here."

He could never say no to Percy, the stupid git.

***

As usual, Jason woke up way before Percy. He gently detangled himself from Percy's bloody octopus limbs and got changed, intending to get a coffee and doughnuts for the both of them and Reyna if she was awake.

To his surprise, Reyna was already sitting at the kitchen table, stirring a cup of instant coffee, with none other than Annabeth Chase herself. She looked like absolute shit. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun, showing off the dark bags under her eyes. At least it looked like Reyna had already done a doughnut run.

"Annabeth." Jason sat down at the table and helped himself to a doughnut, not caring whether he appeared cold and bristly. He'd always had a decent relationship with Annabeth: on the Argo, most of their strategy was planned together and he respected her decision making and level head. In all honesty, he hadn't spoken to her as much as he thought he would after the war. He'd been too busy hanging out with Percy, who obviously was refusing to speak to her.

"Hi, Jason. Is Percy up yet?"

"No."

"I—good. Listen, about last night..."

"Listen, I don't know what the hell you were doing but Percy looked uncomfortable as hell with you trapping him in a fucking corner like that," said Jason, rubbing his temple. A headache was starting to form.

"I know, I fucked up," Annabeth sighed miserably and accepted the coffee Reyna offered her. "I didn't mean to make him uncomfortable or lead him on. Which I know is what it looked like. I just... I'm so tired of him ignoring me. I miss him."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"I don't know how to apologise to him. I feel like an arsehole."

Jason shrugged. "You should."

"I still love him."

"Good for you. What are you doing to do? Get back together and break his heart again?"

"Jason," warned Reyna. He was fully aware he was being unfair—Annabeth looked fragile.

"Listen, I just want to get something off my chest," she sighed. "I'm not excusing what I did yesterday, that was out of line."

"Go ahead."

"I was drunk, Jason. I've already said I still love him—I can't just stop like that. We've been through too much shit together for me to forget all that. I'll admit it, I cried for hours when we first broke up and I still cry sometimes. I thought he was my other half, the permanent person in my life. If the giant war hadn't happened, I would've married him and spent the rest of my life with him and been happy, no questions. Breaking off our relationship was one of the hardest choices I've ever made and sometimes I think I made a fucking stupid decision and I'll stay up all night regretting my stupidity. I know I hurt him when we broke up. I'll spend hours thinking about how fucking broken he seemed and blaming myself for it, for not staying and getting through it together like we always promised each other."

Jason could definitely tell she'd spent hours and hours stressing about it and rehearsing what she was going to say but it was all just spilling out now.

"If he fell into Tartarus again, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in after him and face it together. I'd happily take a knife for him. Percy means more to me than I could ever show but I can't be with him, and probably will never be able to again. Yesterday, I slipped when I was drunk—I saw his stupid face chatting up about three girls at once and it was just so unlike him... I'll admit. I felt jealous and stupidly protective. He used to look at me and me only and there he was, reduced to a slag, sleeping around, and I couldn't help feeling like the stupid bastard is worth so much more than that," she paused to take a breath, completely lost in her world. Jason knew she'd been wanting to voice this for ages.

"I have memories attached to him, the old Percy. The relationship we used to have before Hera, the fucking bint, took him away. I'll never not resent her for that. Of course, I got Percy back but it just wasn't the same as before. I still look at him and it just fucking hurts thinking about what we were before. I saw him at that godforsaken party and I felt so fucking lonely remembering what we used to be, to the point I desperately went to try and get it back. I'm not proud of it. Honestly, it was one of my lowest points."

She genuinely looked like she was going to cry and Jason felt bad. Annabeth never cried. Reyna moved around the table to hug her friend.

"It was true, what I said. When we broke up. I needed space. I couldn't do anything without Percy always fucking there, what the hell, it got to the point where I felt like I couldn't even fucking laugh unless he was laughing too just so he wouldn't feel bad. He was clingy. Possessive. He treated me like—" Annabeth gestured in the air, like she was struggling to find the right words. "I don't even know. Like his personal outlet for his problems. Like a personal carer—no, that's not the right word—but. You know. He'd feel left out if I did something without him. He relied on me to get him out of bed in the mornings. I made all his decisions for him. I felt fucking contained. And he was too wrapped up in his own demons to notice I was struggling too and wasn't happy. I get that, I'm not blaming him: he's been through some shit and so have we all but I wasn't in the right place of mind to support his demons and deal with my own."

Jason suspected as much, honestly. He opened his mouth to comfort her and assure her that Percy would get his head out of his arse at some point and make his peace with it but Annabeth carried on. It definitely sounded like she'd been wanting to voice it for ages and it also seemed like she was justifying her decision to herself.

"I'm happy. At least, happier than I was before," she said so softly that Jason had to lean in to listen to her. "Sometimes I miss the reliability of our relationship but it wasn't worth it." Annabeth paused for a second, choking back her emotions. "But it was too much. I can't look at him the same anymore, not after Tartarus."

Jason and Reyna exchanged glances. Percy and Annabeth had never spoke about exactly what happened in Tartarus—of course, they knew bits and pieces and enough to know it was horrific but never the specifics. Understandably, neither Percy, Annabeth or Nico had wanted to talk about it. It was too traumatising.

"We both did things. Unspeakable things. But Percy... I thought I knew him but apparently I didn't. He..." she cast her eyes around nervously. However much she wanted to finally tell people what the hell was going on in her head, Jason could tell it was painful speaking about it.

"He crossed a line," she said, with an anguished face. "It was necessary, but some things shouldn't be messed with. We all know he's possibly the most powerful demigod alive but what he did was a whole new level. He tortured Misery herself, bent her blood, her poison, back into herself. To see how long she would last before breaking. And the look on his face... it haunts me." 

She put her head in her hands and Reyna hugged her tighter.

"He looked drunk on power, like he was enjoying taking out all the pain in his system out on the goddess. He broke Misery. It was a taste of vengeance and it was honestly sadistic—I didn't realise how much Percy had a taste for revenge until then. Of course, I'd suspected it but turned a blind eye because of how he is normally, or how he would have been without all the shit he's been through. You know he and Sally murdered his step-father when he was twelve? He's proud of it. When he killed Arachne he wished he had the chance to make her suffer more. And he's manipulative," there was no stopping Annabeth now, she was on a roll and she looked completely haunted reliving those memories. "I look at him and I'm so, so relieved that he's on our side or we'd be fucked. He could probably take down both camps singlehandedly if he wanted. You know, he convinced a giant to kill his brother because Percy said they were friends?"

Again, Jason exchanged worried glances with Reyna.

"I'm scared of him. That's it. While I know that he'd tear down Olympus to protect me, or even if I'd just asked, I can't feel safe around him. Have you seen him fight? He laughs like it's a game, like he's enjoying it. He's vindictive. It's terrifying. And while I should thank the gods for having his loyalty, I can't even do that. The gods have tried him too many times and I can't trust that he won't snap and just fucking crush them all. He's unpredictable. And I know it's not his fault and he's been through unspeakable things but I can't help but think that without some sort of grounding he wouldn't even question his morals. Call me weak, but I couldn't be responsible for that. I couldn't deal with it. I was constantly on edge—"

"Annie girl," soothed Reyna. "It's not your fault. You're not weak. You did what's best for you and nobody thinks harshly of it."

She was openly sobbing at this point. "Gods, I know. I'm sorry, I'm being stupid. I just... needed to get that off my chest. I feel bad about leaving him every day and I remember the stupid, sarcastic kid I fell in love with and I feel like shit knowing I couldn't support him when he needed it most because of my own stupid, stupid fear of his dark side..."

"Annie. It's not stupid. You've been through some tough shit. I know it's hard but please be kind to yourself. You did the right thing."

"I know. I just... I just need to get it into my head for good that the Percy who came out of the Giant War is not the Percy I used to know and will never be."

Jason hopped off the counter and went around to hug his friend and she clung to him fiercely, her tears soaking through his shirt. "Hey, Annabeth. It's okay. We all changed and there's nothing we can do to change that anymore and that's okay. We're all pretty fucking lost but we've got you, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I know," she let out a watery laugh and accepted the tissue Reyna offered her. "Thanks for this guys. I needed to get that out. Sorry, I'll stop being so useless now and I'll apologise to Percy for leading him on later."

"Are you going to tell him? What you told us?"

"No," she sighed. "Maybe it's not fair on him but I don't want to tell him the full reason I don't want to be with him, if I told him he scares me he'd feel like even more of a failure than he does already. I'd better not."

Annabeth grabbed her jacket and stood up to leave, still dabbing the moisture from her eyes. "Thanks again guys, and thanks for the coffee."

"I'll walk you back to your flat," said Reyna, jumping from her chair as well.

They left with a last wave, leaving Jason gaze out the window clutching his cup of coffee and watching his breath fog in the kitchen. It was cold. The bloody heating had gone again.

In all honesty, what Annabeth had said didn't surprise him and didn't really make him re-evaluate his perception of Percy. Reyna had looked horrified when Annabeth spoke about his vindictive and manipulative nature but Jason felt like he knew that part of Percy already. Clearly, it had a massive impact on Annabeth, and Percy's grey morals when it came to protecting what he cared for disturbed her but Jason wasn't repulsed. Maybe it was because Jason first met Percy after Hera, the fat cow, had wiped his memories and he'd just got them back. Annabeth knew a version of Percy that Jason had never seen before.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Percy padding into the kitchen until he wrapped his arms around Jason's waist and buried his face into his shoulder. Jason jumped violently, nearly spilling his coffee.

"Oh hey. Morning Perce."

Percy hummed into his shoulder. "You're warm. It's cold."

Jason decided he didn't give a single shit about what Percy could do or how destructive he could be. It was worth it for moments like these.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I genuinely love Annabeth’s character and “I need some space” just didn’t justify it so enjoy my 2000 word rant about her feelings XD (sorry) 
> 
> also the only person who's proof-read this shit is me so any feedback on my writing style is appreciated! 
> 
> Jx


	8. CHAPTER 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a spicy scene so watch out kids  
> aka explicit sex warning

It was early December and honestly, things couldn’t get much better. Christmas was in the air already. It seemed to put an atmosphere of hope into the air—people were really starting to move on from the events of the war and getting used to the fact they could live a little, even Percy. 

He’d stopped drinking on school nights, much to Jason’s relief, and although he still slept around it seemed like he legitimately did it for fun rather than using it as a way to force normalcy into his life. 

“Jason! Jason,” Percy ran up to him and slid his hands up Jason’s shirt. Jason shrieked and jumped a foot, earning him some funny looks. Percy’s fingers were fucking cold. 

“Ouch!” gasped Percy. “You motherfucker, you shocked me!” 

Jason smirked. “Serves you right, prick.” 

“Shut it. Sparky,” Percy bumped Jason’s shoulder and laughed. He looked so carefree and light that Jason’s sprits soared just looking at him and made him temporarily forget the 5000-word paper he’d been set. 

“Alright fine, give me your hand Perseus,” Jason rolled his eyes and offered his hand, warm from the unintentional spark he’d just created. Percy took it like it was the most natural thing in the world, ignoring the stares of nosy college kids wondering what the hell they were doing. Honestly at this point, Jason didn’t even mind assuring people that no, Percy wasn’t his boyfriend. It didn’t hurt like it used to—it had gotten to the point that Jason had accepted Percy was straight and he didn’t mind having Percy as a best friend, so long as he was in his life. 

They walked in comfortable silence for a while. 

“Jason, are you going to the party today?” he asked, swinging their entwined hands between them. 

“Nah, can’t be arsed. It’s just the same old. I’m going to the baths instead.” 

Percy cocked an eyebrow. “It’s your mum friend override. You usually get too anxious at parties that someone’s gonna do something stupid to actually loosen up and enjoy not thinking for a night.” 

“Shut it, Perce. I don’t like not thinking, I don’t want you hopeless fuckers to die,” maybe Percy was right, but it didn’t really change Jason’s feelings towards the matter. They’d been through enough shit already. Alcohol poisoning was a bit of a stupid way to go after surviving two wars, in Jason’s opinion. Sure, he’d love to loosen up and mess around but recently, he found parties more and more stressful. 

“Can I come with?” 

“What?” 

“To the baths. I’ll skip the party tonight as well.” 

“Course,” he was pleasantly surprised. 

But fuck, if there was something more dangerous than Percy at a party, it was Percy in the baths. Jason was having a hard time focusing on Percy’s face and Percy’s face only, especially considering the rum Percy had managed to sneak in. Yes, Percy was sitting less than 5 feet away from him, stark naked, acting flirty, saying he was bi and liked dick and yes, Jason was tipsy as fuck, but the rational part of his head remained screamed at him that he was supposed to be the level head. They were just bros. And even though Percy was inching closer and closer and teasing him goddamn it, he knew he had to be the one with some sort of sense. It was a dangerous game and Jason was on the edge of his tether—he was a hair away from ruining a friendship. 

*** 

Percy enjoyed the warm feeling of alcohol in his bloodstream. Yes, he knew Jason was worried about the amount he drank but when he wasn’t constantly stressing over everything and he could act without a shred of decency without expecting a monster attack at any second? That shit hit good and sure felt better than constant paranoia. 

“Jason,” he giggled. “Jason, I’ve started sleeping with guys.” 

He didn’t miss the way Jason choked on his drink in shock and it gave him a sort of pride. His head felt warm and fuzzy enough to ignore the guilt that still stemmed from him wanking with his best mate’s face in mind. It had been a homosexual awakening and Percy wasn’t sure how he felt about that, only that shagging guys was a whole lot more exciting than girls. 

“Yeah, bottoming is actually kind of fun, you know,” he said innocently, eyeing Jason over the top of the bottle. Jason’s eyes darkened slightly but otherwise he didn’t react. Ever since he’d pointed it out to him, Percy had become way more aware of other people’s attraction and found that Jason wasn’t wrong. It was a weird feeling. He wasn’t used to it at all. It had taken him years to notice Annabeth checking him out and hadn’t previously noticed any other people’s crushes, probably because of his huge crush on Annabeth and possibly because of the assholes in his old schools making him feel like shit 24/7. Yes, there was the thing with Rachel but that hadn’t gone further than some unintentional dates and a surprise kiss. 

But when Percy looked into mirrors, even he could see how much he’d changed. There were the usual ways: he was taller, leaner, more muscular. His baby face was gone and so were his spots, and his teeth had straightened out as he’d grown. But as Jason pointed out, there were other changes as well, which were subtler but Percy supposed he could see them. He’d inherited his naturally brooding expression from his dad, or as Jason fondly referred to it, his resting bitch face. He looked scary; he supposed going through hell and back would do that. Jason flippantly told him his ‘fuck off’ attitude towards things could be considered attractive, once. He wondered if he meant it. 

“I don’t know,” shrugged Jason, pulling Percy from his drunk thoughts. “I prefer being on top, myself.” 

That wasn’t part of the plan. He wasn’t supposed to look so casual about it and fix Percy with a devastating smirk. 

Wait. Was Jason flirting with him? Percy cursed himself. One night stands were all well and good but he could still never tell if the people he actually liked were showing interest back. 

Percy shuffled slightly closer to hand him the bottle, thinking that he should probably stop drinking before he lost any sense of rational thought. He quickly gave up on that idea though, when he found he couldn’t resist moving to sit closer to Jason’s mesmerising icy blue eyes and the teasing smirk he rarely saw otherwise. It excited him. 

He flicked a bit of water into Jason’s face, mostly to relieve some of the tension between them and maybe distract himself from looking where it was probably inappropriate to look at your best friend. 

“Oi,” Jason scowled and set the rum on the side, flicking just a tad more in Percy’s face. 

Fuck, Percy was definitely getting too confident but couldn’t bring himself to care very much. He scooted closer still and splashed more water at Jason, drenching him. 

“Oi.” Bad move. Jason was eye to eye now, looking down at Percy in a way that made his toes curl. 

“You really want to pick a fight with the son of the sea god?” he was surprised that his voice came out steady because he felt slightly dizzy with Jason’s wolf stare pinning him down, only inches away. Percy was acutely aware neither of them were wearing anything, as per custom of the Roman bathhouses. 

Jason said nothing, but splashed Percy from head to toe. It caught him off guard, now he was soaking wet. 

Percy didn’t think his next decision through. He channelled the tiniest amount of his power, feeling only the slightest tug at the pit of his stomach but holy Hades, he’d forgotten how easy manipulating water came to him now. Somehow, he managed to lift all the water out of the baths and upended it over the room. 

“Shit! Percy, you bastard!” shrieked Jason, coughing and spluttering, completely soaked. 

Oops. Before Jason could recover, Percy jumped up and legged it for the exit, howling with laughter, knowing that they were about to get kicked the fuck out of there anyways. Probably by whatever whack god blessed the baths or something, Percy couldn’t remember. 

He raced into the changing room and slung a towel around his hips, hearing Jason running after him, still swearing. As an afterthought, he also grabbed Jason’s stuff before streaking out into the cold November air in nothing but a towel, laughing at the enraged screaming that followed him. 

Percy hurtled around a corner, ignoring the shocked protests from the couple he nearly collided with. He couldn’t blame them—two of the most powerful ex-praetors running through the streets half-naked in the middle of November probably wasn’t a welcome surprise. 

“What the fuck?” 

“Sorry! I stole superman’s clothes!” he yelled over his shoulder and nearly crashed into a bin. Even though Percy had stolen his towel, Jason had apparently grabbed one of the communal ones which was so small it barely covered his junk. 

Percy took the stairs two at a time and it was a miracle he didn’t fall back down them considering how hard he was laughing and the alcohol he’d consumed. He fumbled with the door, giving Jason enough time to catch up enough to grab Percy and spin him into the counter. Percy instinctively jumped up so he was sitting on it and looped his arms around Jason’s neck, still smiling from ear to ear. 

Jason’s arms came down to rest on Percy’s hips. He had his happy face on, the one with the relaxed brow and the sparkle in his eyes and the half-smile and the one that made Percy’s heart beat quicker than it should have. His hands were warm on Percy’s hips, despite the cold outside. 

And shit, it was probably the alcohol but his damn dick was refusing to behave. With nothing but a towel to cover himself, Percy panicked, not wanting to move from this position but definitely not wanting Jason to notice his pathetic arousal. And for some reason, Percy’s stupid, drunk brain decided that the best way to firmly keep Jason from looking down was to surge forwards impulsively to kiss him, slow, deep and short. 

He broke off after a second, horrified, apologies on his lips. But Jason’s wolf stare was back, pupils blown wide, gaze predatory and staring straight down into his eyes. He tightened his hands on his hips. 

There was a pause, as Percy tried to remember how to breathe. But then there was a small noise of despair and Percy realised it came from his own throat and Jason’s hand flew up to cup his face, tightly, and they were kissing again but this time hard and desperate. Percy felt Jason’s tongue roughly tracing the seam of his lips and he opened his mouth without even trying to resist. He was completely lost in the way Jason’s tongue swept his mouth in an open-mouthed, drunken clash of teeth and tongues, and the way Jason gripped his hips tight enough to bruise. If he was cold before, he definitely wasn’t now. 

Percy hooked his legs around Jason’s waist when Jason pulled him impossibly closer. When he felt something else hard rub against his boner, Percy completely fucking lost it. He moaned loudly into Jason’s mouth and knotted his hands into his hair and desperately rutted into him, barely registering it when he accidentally kicked the sinfully small towel away from Jason’s ass. 

Without another word, Jason lifted Percy off the counter like he weighed nothing at all, and slammed him back down on the edge of the kitchen table. He didn’t stop his assault on Percy’s mouth for a second. For the first time ever, Percy could understand where Reyna’s insistence on keeping a completely clean table made sense. Jason ripped the towel away from Percy’s waist, exposing him completely. Percy gasped into Jason’s mouth, which turned into a moan halfway through as he felt Jason’s erection slide against his own. 

He didn’t know what was wrong with him, he never made those noises, even during sex. But there was something about the way Jason’s soft lips were ruthlessly kissing him that made him want to just fucking beg for more. 

“Jason,” his voice came out little more than a breathless moan. “Jason, fuck me.” 

Jason stopped kissing him and lifted himself off Percy just a little. Percy missed his warmth already. He felt exposed with Jason’s hungry eyes roving over him but there was something about that icy-blue predatory gaze that sent the blood rushing to his cock, and so did Jason’s damn skin covering taught muscle, and damp hair, curled from Percy’s hands carding through it. Fuck, the boy did things to Percy that nobody else could. 

“Gods, Jason, please,” Percy rolled his hips up into Jason’s erection and greedily watched him throw his head back and choke on a moan. He had a second’s satisfaction before Jason grabbed him again and flipped him over to his stomach, bent over the table. For some reason, the rough way Jason was handling him was so goddamn arousing—normally he was the one in charge in bed. 

But of course, they weren’t in bed, Percy remembered. In the moment’s time it took Jason to use the winds to summon lube from their bedroom, Percy wondered how the hell Reyna would react if she came home from her party then and there and saw the two of them going at it on the kitchen table. She’d probably—no definitely—flay them alive. And their blinds were open anyway so if anyone were to walk past on the balcony, they were in full view. Percy realised he couldn’t give less of a shit. Briefly, he wondered what the gods would think if they looked down from Olympus right at that moment and saw them. The bubble of laughter that rose in his throat from the picture of Zeus and Poseidon staring in horror quickly died when Jason roughly shoved a finger up his arsehole. 

Percy all but sobbed as his existence narrowed down to nothing but the burn in his arse and Jason’s finger shoving in and out. The first time he’d fingered himself, it had felt weird but perhaps in anticipation of what was to come, when Jason did it, he’d never felt anything better. Subconsciously, he reached down to touch his own throbbing cock but Jason anticipated it and with one hand, he pinned both of Percy’s above his head. 

A second finger slid in to join the first, making Percy groan and bite down on his own forearm. He felt Jason feeling around in his arse for something and although he knew it was coming, it still took him by surprise. With a jumble of curse words that tumbled from his mouth, Percy’s world went white for a second. He arched his back and tried to grab hold of the sides of the table for support but Jason’s grip on his hands was unyielding. Percy knew he’d end up with bruises on his wrists and hips but couldn’t bring himself to care. 

There was something exciting about not being able to predict Jason’s next move. Percy had stopped thinking altogether and had dissolved into a moaning mess a long time ago while Jason skilfully inserted a third finger and abused his arsehole. 

“I never took you for a moaner, Perce,” chuckled Jason into his ear, his voice dark and rough around the edges in arousal. Whatever snarky comment Percy was gonna retort with quickly died in his throat when Jason’s lips latched onto the place where his neck met his shoulder and he curled his fingers to hit Percy’s sweet spot yet again. 

“Ahhh… fuck you, Jason,” he gasped, his breath coming out in ragged pants. “Scrap that, fuck me.” 

“Condom—” 

“I’m clean, just do it—” 

Percy’s sentence broke off midway when Jason pulled his fingers out. He felt empty as hell and desperate and could feel his arsehole clenching around nothing. His whole body was taught in anticipation. Slowly, Jason lined his cock up with Percy’s arsehole with one hand and began pressing in. 

Percy gritted his teeth but had to let out a groan. It burned like a motherfucker. 

“Perce?” 

“I’m fine,” he gasped. “Carry on.” 

If he was being honest, the pain was sort of exciting. He tried muffling his groans in his arm but it wasn’t very effective. And fuck, it burned—Jason was bigger than the guy he rode last time and Jason was also very much in control of the situation. Normally, Percy was in charge whether he had a dick in him or not and the shift in power was incredibly arousing. He felt so full, the line between pain and pleasure becoming blurred. 

“Jason,” he was fully aware how whiny and breathless he sounded but didn’t care, not if Jason would only hurry up and get on with it. Every muscle in his body was tensed and tight, trying to adjust to the feeling of having Jason halfway up his arse. 

Another few inches. Percy’s legs were shaking and he vaguely registered the little moans spilling out of his own mouth. He’d never wanted anything so bad during sex, and it was killing him. 

Finally, Jason pushed the last couple of inches in and paused, breathing heavily, presumably to let Percy adjust. 

“Jason, move, gods be damned! I’m fine,” gasped Percy, even though he definitely wasn’t adjusted to Jason’s length. He didn’t care. He wanted it and the pain would go away later anyway. 

“Have it your way.” Jason’s voice was deeper than normal, and gravelly. It sent shivers down Percy’s spine. Then, slowly, excruciatingly slowly, he dragged his dick almost all the way out, leaving Percy dizzy in anticipation. Percy couldn’t help the string of moans that left his mouth when Jason forced his way back in with one, deep stroke. 

Then he did it again. And again. Percy was harder than he’d ever been in his life and basically crying in frustration. Jason’s agonisingly slow but forceful strokes were driving him insane. Every time he shoved his way back in, the table shook slightly. Percy was thankful that the thing was made out of sturdy wood and bolted to the floor. 

“Jason, please…” 

He finally released Percy’s wrists to grip his hips again but any thoughts of touching his own dick flew out the window when Jason started fucking him in earnest. His brutal pace immediately drove everything out of Percy’s mind—all he could do was grip the sides of the table as hard as he could as Jason slammed in and out of him, hard. The air was filled with the obscene sound of skin slapping on skin, harsh breathing and the dim pulsing of rave music from the party happening in the opposite apartment block. 

Percy felt high on sensation overload. He could feel everything so acutely and it was driving him insane: the hard table dug into his hands from how he was holding onto it for dear life, Jason’s tight hold of his hips was bruising and of course, the delicious feeling of Jason’s cock sliding in and out of his tight arse. Percy’s cock was throbbing painfully but he lacked the coordination to try and jerk himself off. All he could do was hold onto the table and try not to pass out. 

Jason lifted Percy’s hips slightly, changing the angle, and Percy completely lost any awareness of reality. He couldn’t hear anything, all he could focus on was Jason’s cock slamming into his prostate and the delicious heat burning at the bottom of his stomach. He almost screamed as he scrabbled at the table underneath him, trying to find any purchase at all. Every stroke was driving him more and more insane, sending him closer to completion. And he hadn’t even touched his dick yet. 

“Jason,” he managed to sob in between the desperate moans spilling from his lips. Fuck, his whole body was writhing, knees completely weak, and he was so fucking close… 

Jason started jerking him off at the same brutal pace he was fucking him but Percy barely lasted another two strokes before he was coming so violently that his body was hit with a helpless spasm and he was forced to choke back Jason’s name, instead letting out something a cross between a scream and a moan. 

Somewhere in his cloud of bliss, he registered Jason’s rhythm faltering for the first time and heard him groan deeply, using Percy’s limp body to finish off. It was only another half a minute before he came as well, filling up Percy’s ass with hot liquid. He thought he felt a jolt of electricity race up and down his spine but he couldn’t be sure. 

The world slowly faded back into existence. The party was still on; Percy could feel the music vibrating through the table. And it was fucking cold without Jason’s warm body draped over him. Percy shivered. 

“Hey, Perce,” Jason’s voice broke the silence. He helped Percy into a sitting position and gathered him up into his arms. “Shit, are you okay?” 

The realisation of what they’d done hit Percy like a godly slap. He’d just had sex with his best friend, while both of them were drunk. Never mind the fact it was the best lay of his life, Jason was still his best friend and Percy had definitely ruined a friendship. He felt the panic rolling up him in waves. He was going to cry. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, let me just go shower—” Percy scrambled off the table, ignoring the ache in his arse, and half ran for the bathroom, leaving Jason to clean up the table. 

Shit, shit, shit. Stupid Percy and his stupid horniness and fuck Jason and his gods forsaken gorgeous body and dominating nature. He’d fucked up so badly. Percy sank to the floor of the shower and just let the hot water wash over his aching body. He felt like shit. 

“Perce? Are you alright? Shit, I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Jason knocked on the door, sounding concerned. 

“Fine. Just cleaning up.” 

Stifling a sob, Percy punched the wall, not wanting to face Jason. He was miserable. Jason was his best friend and he’d let himself throw that away by fucking like animals while drunk over a kitchen table of all things. Jason probably thought he was a fucking slag—he knew Jason quietly disapproved of Percy’s constant fucking and drinking. And now Percy had gone and disrespected his best friend by using him for sex, even though Jason was worth so, so much more than that. 

When Percy finally left the shower, Jason was already in bed. He swallowed and climbed up to his own bunk, his mind tormented. 

“Percy?” 

Fuck. He thought Jason was still asleep. Percy had no idea what he’d say to him. 

“Yeah?” 

“That was… that’s not going to affect our friendship? Right?” 

Percy was hit by another ton of emotions: relief, shame and hurt that he didn’t know the origins of. “No. Of course not. It’s just sex.” 

“Just sex…” echoed Jason so softly that Percy wasn’t sure he’d heard it. 

And those words cut deep. They sounded so foreign in Percy’s head, even though they’d come out of his own mouth. On one hand, he was hit with a sense of shameful relief that pricked at his skin like sweat—Jason was still his friend. He wasn’t disgusted. And maybe he’d used Percy as a way to get off, but so had Percy—it didn’t change their relationship. 

Just sex. 

But on the other hand, Percy felt something much, much deeper that ached so badly it physically hurt. He longed for Jason’s safe arms to hold him as he struggled not to cry over such a stupid thing and he felt so alone. 

In many ways he was glad they’d done it over a table in the darkness after all. 

Just sex.

If Percy had stayed wrapped in Jason’s arms even a second longer, he thought it would hurt him too much to go back to being just friends. It would break him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> voila and there we have an inaccurate (pornographic) sex scene  
> also always use protection, unlike Percy and Jason (fucking idiots.)


	9. CHAPTER 9

Jason groaned and slammed his head into the table. He’d just returned from a short quest and his motherfucking paper was due in an hour and he honestly could not be arsed. At least he’d had the sense to do most of it in advance and only had to proof-read and fix up the bibliography, but the letters were swimming on the page. Fuck, his own writing was so dry he was falling asleep reading it. He’d take fighting monsters over this bullshit any day.

He hadn’t even had time to change out of the sweaty clothes he’d worn on the quest and his armour and weapons were strewn over the floor of the living room. He knew that Reyna would give him shit about it in the morning but right now, he could not give less of a shit.

“C’mon, you idiot, Jason,” he mumbled to himself, rubbing his eyes. His asshat of a professor had refused to give him an extension on the deadline even though he’d been gone two days rescuing some hopeless kids in Minnesota of all places. Gods damn the Roman Legion and their desperate need to follow the rules. Normally, to send a member of the legion out on a rescue quest, they needed a bloody blessing from a god and a praetor to lead the quest. But of course, those stupid kids got themselves stuck in a bit of a tight situation, not leaving enough time for them to organise an official quest, and they’d turned to Jason for a favour. And because it was an unofficial quest, his fucker of a professor was refusing to give him an extension.

Jason rubbed his eyes and tried to force himself to stay awake: he had 40 minutes to submit the bloody thing. He was exhausted after dealing with idiot 14 year olds and the idiot 14-year-old praetor they’d somehow decided to appoint. Frank could spend hours ranting to Jason and Percy about how fucking stupid and arrogant this kid was but Jason hadn’t fully understood him until having to spend a whole plane flight with Matilda. He’d always respected Hazel’s decision to forfeit being a praetor but now the whole legion was suffering with Matilda’s shitty leadership.

_C’mon, Jason. Stop fantasising about wringing the little shit’s neck. Read your paper._

“Jason!”

Jason nearly jumped out of his skin. He’d nodded off.

Percy was standing in the door in nothing but his boxers, looking like an underwear model as usual. They hadn’t spoken about the incident after the baths again and Jason was mostly just glad it hadn’t affected their friendship too much. The both of them just pretended it never happened—Jason assumed it wasn’t a big deal for Percy, and that he was just next in Percy’s long string of beautiful lovers.

Percy stood there a second more, looking shocked. He had his stupid bed hair but didn’t look like he’d been asleep—he had dark circles under his eyes.

“Hey, Perce.”

“Jason!” he ran forwards and launched himself into Jason’s lap, a relieved laugh bubbling up in his throat. “You’re not hurt?”

“Not a scratch. Unless you count emotional damage from sitting next to a little stuck-up prick for a whole flight.”

“Thank Zeus,” mumbled Percy into his ear, clinging to the small of his back like a koala.

“Hey, Perce. It’s all good, the quest was easy as fuck which is why Matilda went, and not Frank. All they had to do was collect some fucking magic comb that Venus left somewhere. Only they got caught by a Cyclops.”

“I was worried.”

Jason could feel Percy’s tears soaking through his shoulder, where he’d buried his face.

“I’m fine, Perce.”

“I know. It’s just… what if something happens? And I’m not there? Sorry, I’m just always so paranoid even though it’s fine. I should have gone with you.”

“Hey, it’s all good now. I’ve just got to submit my paper. Did you do yours?”

Percy wiped his eyes on Jason’s shoulder and smiled at him. “Yes. I submitted it this afternoon, which is at least 6 hours before the deadline. Are you proud of me?”

Jason huffed a laugh. “Very. Better then last time, what was that, a solid 30 seconds before it was due?”

“Shut up mum, that’s where you’re heading if you don’t hurry up and do yours now,” scolded Percy cheekily.

“Move then, fuck-head,” Jason adjusted Percy’s legs around him and leaned over his shoulder to see his laptop.

“You stink.”

“You don’t say. Get off if you don’t want to smell it and shut up, I’m trying to proof-read this paper. It’s due in 13 minutes.”

Percy stayed, nestled in Jason’s chest like a lanky teddy bear.

In the end, Jason managed to submit the damn thing a solid 3 minutes before the midnight. He shut down his laptop and stood up, a sleeping Percy in his arms. He was obviously shattered. Jason suspected that Percy hadn’t slept much last night.

He heard the front door opening on the way to his room and Reyna came in quietly.

“Oh hey, Jason. We were expecting you earlier. Did you manage to get your paper in?” she asked, quietly.

“Yeah, the flight was delayed. I got it in just in time.”

Percy let out a light snore in Jason’s arms.

Reyna smiled fondly at them. “He didn’t get any sleep last night. Spent the whole of today half-dead and stressing until I forced him to go to bed.”

“Yeah, I gathered. He stresses so much about everyone else way too much and still acts reckless himself, like he’s tempting the fates to fucking try him.”

“Annabeth calls that being an idiot. And I can’t say I disagree.”

Jason shrugged, and set Percy down on the bottom bunk. He made a small sound of protest when Jason untangled his octopus arms but otherwise didn’t wake up.

“He drooled on your shirt. You guys are adorable.”

“We’re just friends, Reyna.”

“Sure. Are you coming clubbing tomorrow?”

“What?” Jason, midway through taking his shirt off, frowned at Reyna who was leaning on the doorframe. “Clubbing?”

“Oh shit, you weren’t there. But as a Christmas party I guess, a bunch of us are going out tomorrow night. Like an end of term celebration. Annabeth and I are going, so are Dakota and Clarisse. Pipes, Leo and Calypso will come if they can get out of school early and Percy says he’s coming if you are.”

“How? We’re all underage, Leo looks about 12, and we’ll attract loads of monsters.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Reyna smirked at him. “You really think we’re that stupid? It’s a new place and it’s close enough to camp borders for monsters to avoid it. Besides, the bouncer’s got a thing for Annabeth so he’s not gonna ID us while we’re with her.”

Jason’s eyebrows were raised so high he was surprised they hadn’t disappeared into his hairline.

“Come on. Loosen up. Have some fun.”

“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “Go get some sleep.”

***

To his surprise, Jason was having fun. Maybe it was the teasing way Percy complimented him before they left, but Jason was actually feeling pretty good and wasn’t worrying as much as normal.

Sure enough, the bouncer let them in without even asking for ID, even Leo, when Annabeth threw him a wink. Jason found himself actually relaxing as he knocked back a third shot. The loud pumping music thrummed through his body with the alcohol, making him feel very alive after the dancing. Percy, with his crooked smile, lounged at the bar with Jason. He was so close that Jason could feel Percy’s breath on his cheek and he was fiddling with Jason’s dangly silver earring. They’d danced already and nothing particularly bad had happened yet—even Leo had managed not to get kicked out.

Piper collapsed in a seat next to them, breathless and laughing. She leaned over the counter and swiped Percy’s drink.

“Hey! I was drinking that!” he protested half-heartedly.

“It’s alright, you can give your friend his drink back,” a sleazy looking man emerged from the mess of clubbing bodies. “I’ll buy you your own, sweetheart.”

“Yes please,” she winked at Jason and allowed him to call the bartender over. Jason had to stop himself from punching the dude when she laughed flirtatiously and he slung a hand around her hips. It was normal behaviour at a club and he knew full well that Piper could take care of herself. They disappeared into the crowd a minute later.

“Jason,” Percy put a hand on his thigh and Jason tried not to jump. “Check her out. Doesn’t she look familiar?”

Jason turned to where Percy was pointing. The world was spinning pleasantly and not even Percy obviously checking out a chick could bother him. He’d spent so long convincing himself that Percy didn’t like him like that and they were just friends that he barely even felt jealous anymore.

“I… yeah, kinda. She’s fucking fit though, for a girl.”

Percy snorted. “What you saying? That’s the hottest mortal I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Well she’s definitely checking you out, or me. Whichever,” he teased, bumping Percy’s shoulder.

“Nope, I’m pretty sure it’s me,” he smiled wickedly. “Ladies like dark hair, and as you said, the mysterious smile. Wish me luck.”

With a wink at Jason, Percy threw back the last of his drink and sauntered back out to the dance floor, where sure enough, the dark-haired chick was waiting for him. They started grinding and Jason turned away, trying not to care. It was true, what Percy said—the girl he’d gone with looked familiar but he couldn’t place his finger on it.

Jason turned back to the bar to get another drink but a different young man hopped into the seat Percy vacated.

“Let me get it for you.”

“I—thanks,” he was pleasantly surprised.

“You and the other guy… he’s not your boyfriend?”

“Nah, just friends. I’m Jason, by the way.”

“Art. Say, I’d just accepted that he was definitely your boyfriend and I was just wondering if I should ask for a threesome or go home,” he let out a loud, toothy laugh and Jason joined in. Art was definitely a twink, with a crop top on his skinny chest and heavy eyeliner. And he was damn good looking and definitely into Jason. Why not?

“Nah, I’m joking,” he laughed again. “But for real, you guys would’ve made the best looking couple ever. Especially you.”

“Not bad yourself,” Jason joked, relaxing into their flirting. What the hell, he might as well get laid or even a date if he was lucky. Art was funny, cute and confident and would have been Jason’s type if Jason wasn’t already so into Percy. But it didn’t hurt to get back on the dating scene, especially seeing as life seemed to be going somewhat back to normal.

Jason was dodging personal questions left, right and centre but was otherwise relaxed and confident that Art definitely wanted a shag when there was suddenly a commotion from the other side of the room. Percy Jackson burst out of the crowd with a maniac grin on his face, closely followed by security.

Of course.

Percy made a beeline for Jason, a laugh on his lips. The girl was nowhere to be seen.

“I might have a problem,” he screeched to a halt in front of Jason as the security caught up. “They want to arrest me, don’t know why.”

“You fucking idiot,” Jason face palmed but couldn’t help bursting out laughing as the security attempted to tackle him. “Fine.”

Jason jumped off his stool, saluted Art and barrelled into the security guard who’d managed to get a hold of Percy, then grabbed Percy’s hand and legged it, dragging the idiot towards the exit while Piper and Leo cheered and Art yelled _I ship it_ after them.

They burst out into the cold night air—it had started snowing while they were inside and enough so there was a solid half inch coating the ground.

“Woah, this is epic!” gasped Percy, looking around like a little kid.

Jason, still laughing, dragged Percy by the hand through the snow, Art completely forgotten. “The security is still after us Perce, the fuck did you do?”

“They might have caught me shagging that girl in the bathroom and I might have punched one of them running away when they asked for my ID,” giggled Percy, glancing behind them to see if they’d lost the security yet. They hadn’t.

Jason burst out laughing. “You fucking idiot.”

“Yeah, guess I’m not going back to that place.”

“Nah, you’re good, Pipes will sort you out. They’re mortals, easy to charmspeak.”

Percy ginned and flopped down on the snow on the banks of the Tiber. The security was long behind them—even drunk, Percy and Jason were quick.

“Think fast,” Jason scooped a handful of snow into a ball and launched it at Percy’s face. He wasn’t feeling the cold yet, despite only being in a T-Shirt and thin jacket—probably the alcohol.

“Hey! You prick!” cursing, Percy jumped off the ground, furiously wiping snow from his face.

“Serves you right, I had bets on Leo getting kicked out first. Now I owe Reyna five dollars.” Jason ducked and rolled to avoid Percy throwing a snowball in retaliation.

Soon, it was an all-out war. They were both completely off their heads and laughing like school kids, pelting snow at each other as hard as they could. Percy drunkenly lunged at Jason, attempting to tackle him and failing epically. Jason rolled them over easily but had to block Percy swinging at his stomach. Percy took the opportunity to wiggle out from underneath him and try running.

“Bastard!” Jason threw another snowball, but Percy danced away from it, that trouble-maker smirk teasing him.

He jumped up again, dodging the snow Percy sent flying at his head and managed to tackle the little shit and pin him down. He struggled furiously against Jason’s tight grip but eventually relaxed, laughing.

“Okay, okay superman. I give in, you win.”

Jason let him go and Percy, grinning like a maniac, turned on his back so he was looking up into Jason’s eyes. To his surprise, Percy didn’t try to get the upper hand again but just lay there, panting and smiling. He was so goddamn beautiful it made Jason’s heart hurt: his sea green eyes were sparkling and he looked so carefree and happy, just like he deserved to be all the time. There was snow dusting dark hair and eyelashes, making them glitter in the dim light. Jason ran a thumb over his cheekbone which was red from the cold air, and watched Percy’s eyes flutter shut and mouth part slightly.

Jason knew. He knew he could kiss Percy then and there and Percy would, without a doubt, kiss back even though he’d already fucked a stranger in the bathroom. Maybe it would go further, like last time. Percy’s head was tilted back ever so slightly, invitingly.

After a long pause, Jason won the battle against his horniness and drunk brain and stood up, offering a hand to help Percy up. However much he wanted to explore his soft, pliant mouth again and coax those delicious sounds out of him again, he also didn’t want to be just a fuck buddy or a friend with benefits. It would hurt too much.

“C’mon Perce, you fat shit. We’ll freeze our balls off if we stay out here any longer.”

He thought he saw a flash of disappointment across Percy’s face but it was gone in a second.

“Speak for yourself,” grumbled Percy. “I’m pretty sure my ball sack’s already got frostbite.”

Jason rolled his eyes fondly at Percy, who was still resolutely lying on the snowy ground. “C’mon, take my hand.”

With a dramatic sigh, Percy took the hand. But when Jason tried pulling him up, Percy let his whole body go floppy and simply fell back down on a different patch of snow, giggling. “I’m tired and drunk and the world is spinning, this is not fair.”

“Fine,” Jason rolled his eyes again and scooped Percy up.

With a happy sigh, Percy wrapped his legs around Jason’s waist and let his head rest on his shoulder. Jason could feel him trembling both from cold and laughter as Jason flew them over the Little Tiber and to their apartment. Honestly, they looked ridiculous—Percy was hella lanky and shouldn’t have been carried like that.

He dumped Percy unceremoniously on the floor of their bedroom and pulled off his own sopping wet clothes.

“Here,” Jason threw a random shirt and a pair of sweatpants at Percy, who was still lying on the carpet. “Get your lazy ass up and change your clothes, you’ll get sick if you go to bed in wet skinny jeans.”

Jason crawled into his own bed and a minute later, he felt a still-shivering Percy drunkenly crawl into bed with him. Without another word, Jason slung an arm around Percy’s waist and pulled the shivering boy in close, then fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tysm for the kudos and comments! i'm glad you're enjoying it  
> we get a bit of action next chapter ig


	10. CHAPTER 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woahhhhhhh  
> we're halfway there!!  
> depressing themes handled here watch out

Percy couldn’t sleep. His head was spinning too much from the alcohol he’d had and he was still shivering but Jason’s chest was warm against his back and the covers smelled like him. Fuck, he was still drunk despite the time he’d spent rolling around in the snow like a nutter.

He was so sure that Jason was going to kiss him, there on the banks of the Tiber. He didn’t know whether he should be relieved or not because Percy was certain that he was definitely up for another shag, despite the one he’d had in the bathroom. In all honesty, he hadn’t started flirting with that girl purely because she was hella good-looking. He was drunk and despite the promise he’d made himself that he’d never get with Jason again, he wanted to see if he could get a reaction out of the blond. After spending a whole night dancing and flirting with him and getting closer than was safe, Jason still didn’t seem to reciprocate. Which was probably a good thing. Maybe Jason assumed that was just how Percy acted all the time—they were very close friends, closer than most.

But when Percy guiltily toed line after line and Jason did nothing but throw him that wolfish, smirking smile and let him play with his stupid dangly silver earring, Percy got frustrated against his will and singled out a pretty girl at the corner of the dance floor, who was very obviously eying him up. He was planning to dance with her and get Jason’s stupid, beautiful face out of his head just for a moment but when he turned around next, Jason was still at the bar but with a different dude. They were evidently flirting—Jason had his hand on his knee.

_I’m better looking than that,_ he’d thought, but instantly wondered why he cared. The hot spike of jealousy that rose when imagining Jason fucking the man like he’d fucked him made Percy irrationally angry.

He turned away and brought his attention back to the girl in front of him. She’d said her name was Penelope, or something else stupid like that. She was very eager.

Percy fucked her in the bathroom. Maybe he was proving a point, maybe he was trying to relieve sexual tension, maybe he was drunk and bored. Never mind he’d orgasmed thinking about Jason. But then the security had burst in, leaving him to run.

He sighed in the darkness of the room, pressing back further into Jason’s warm body. He was cold and his head was still fuzzy. But then, he froze. Jason was hard and his erection was obvious in the sweatpants he’d put on. Very slowly, Percy turned around to face Jason, heart thumping in his chest.

He was asleep, mouth ajar, breathing evenly.

Percy turned back around, mind racing and pulse thumping. He couldn’t just go to sleep with Jason behind him, holding him like that. Not when his erection was pressed against Percy’s ass, reminding him of the time he’d fucked Percy to oblivion.

Percy’s cock was already hard thinking about it, Zeus be damned. There was no way he was getting to sleep. Carefully, Percy wiggled out of Jason’s arms, instantly feeling cold without their weight over him. Jason made a soft noise but carried on sleeping.

He let out the breath he was holding and padded barefoot to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. He sat down on the lid of the toilet and rested his forehead on the sink, in an attempt to cool himself down and get rid of his boner. It wasn’t working. Jason had thrown him one of his own SPQR shirts and it smelled like him. Images of Jason’s naked body were fucking plaguing him and if anything, he was harder.

_Do not think about Jason. Think about the three fates, or those crazy grey sisters giving a strip tease. Or a Cyclops with herpes. Or Medusa’s saggy fanny. Just not Jason…_

He was failing miserably. There were waves of heat washing over his body as traitorous images of Jason fucking him senseless kept invading the front of his brain. He cursed quietly and pulled out his dick to try and beat one out as quietly and shamefully as he could.

When he was done, he pressed his head against the mirror and sighed in shame and defeat as he washed his hands. Fuck Jason. Maybe he was falling just a little bit.

He turned off the tap, and ran his fingers over a spot on the back of his neck, where Jason left a hickey last time, but then he froze. Something moved in the mirror. He stood and stared in silence, wondering if he was sleep-deprived and imagining it, but he spotted an unmistakable dark movement.

Percy whirled around, Riptide out, but the cry on his lips to warn Jason was lost when his surroundings melted away and he blacked out.

***

Jason woke up, feeling light and content. But the he froze. His bed was cold—Percy was gone. It was almost 11 though, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be awake… Jason pushed the feeling of unease away. He was just paranoid.

“Morning, Reyna.”

“Shut the fuck up Jason,” she groaned, head on the kitchen table.

“Want a coffee?”

“Yes.”

“Yes please?” he teased.

Reyna fixed him with a glare. “Yes please. And get me an aspirin while you’re up.”

“Please?”

“Jason Grace, for the love of Bellona, stop winding me up. I’m this close,” she held up her thumb and finger, which were near enough that Jason thought he’d be lucky to fit a hair between them. “I’m this close to giving you a well-earned slap.”

“Point taken,” he gulped.

“When did you become so annoying, Grace?”

“Blame Percy,” he muttered. “He’s a bad influence.”

“Oh yeah, and you owe me 10 dollars—Percy got kicked out before Leo.”

“What do you mean 10 dollars? We agreed 5,” complained Jason, throwing her a dirty look.

“Leo didn’t get kicked out, but Piper did,” Reyna said, smirking.

“What? How?”

Reyna smiled fondly as if reliving a beautiful memory. “She fucking decked a drunk pervert when he tried squeezing her boob.”

Jason choked on his coffee. “Oh my gods.”

“It was glorious,” sighed Reyna, dreamily. “Where’s Plankton anyway? Is he up yet?”

“Yes. He’s not home. You seen him?”

“No. He might have gone to get doughnuts or something,” she shrugged, looking somewhat less scary after her coffee and 10 dollars.

Yes, that was probably the reasonable explanation. He was paranoid. There was no reason for him to just be gone.

But after walking around the whole campus and the whole of the barracks and the whole of New fucking Rome and not seeing a trace of the son of Poseidon’s casual, troublemaker smirk, Jason didn’t know what to think. He’d asked around and nobody had seen him, not even Frank or Leo.

“Reyna, I can’t find Percy anywhere and nobody seems to know where he’s gone,” Jason burst back into the flat, looking slightly panicked. It was already late afternoon.

“What?” Annabeth, who was lying on the sofa with her feet propped up on Reyna’s lap, jumped up in shock. “He’s gone? Since when?”

“Calm down,” soothed Reyna, putting a comforting hand on Annabeth’s shoulder. Even so, Jason knew Reyna well enough to see the nervous glint in her eyes. “He’s probably fine, maybe he’s gone to the mortal world for whatever reason. Have you tried calling him?”

“Of course I have. It always rings until voicemail.”

“Try again,” demanded Annabeth, looking panicked. Jason didn’t blame her—she’d had to face Percy’s disappearance for 8 months last time.

The three of them huddled around Jason’s mobile, holding their breaths. One ring. A second.

“Wait,” whispered Annabeth as the phone went to voicemail yet again. “Do it again.”

Jason obliged. All three off them heard it at once—the faint sound of Celine Dion’s _My Heart Will Go On._ And it was coming from Percy’s bedroom.

Jason threw open the wardrobe, where he’d hung up Percy’s wet jacket from the previous night, and rummaged through it’s pockets. Sure enough, Percy’s mobile was in there, still playing his stupid ringtone.

“Shit,” snapped Jason, getting increasingly panicked but trying desperately not to show it. “Shit, shit shit. Fuck.”

“Language, Grace,” snapped Reyna, straight back.

“His keys and wallet are in here too,” Annabeth whispered, looking pale.

“And his shoes are still in the middle of the hallway,” frowned Reyna. All three of them knew Percy well enough to know that those stupid black converse were Percy’s only shoes, apart from his running ones.

“Di immortals…. Even his goddamn sneakers are still in the cupboard. Fuck, what if he’s been kidnapped again?”

“Annabeth,” snapped Reyna. “Let’s be logical about this. Nobody panic.”

They all made their way to the kitchen, Reyna trying and failing to stop an enraged Jason and a hysterical Annabeth from panicking.

“ _Gods,_ if he’s disappeared without telling anyone I’m going to kill that bastard… scrap that if he’s been kidnapped I’m killing the bastard anyway—”

“I swear, if the Gods are fucking with him again, I’ll strangle every single one of those cunts—”

“Guys!” Reyna slammed her dagger on the table. “ _Stop panicking._ We’ll Iris message him. Easy.”

Jason blew out a breath. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that before—but then again, it was also a very Greek thing.

“Okay, okay,” Annabeth took a steady breath. “Do either of you have a prism?”

“No, we can make a rainbow using the sink water—”

After a tense minute of fiddling with the sink and a very wet kitchen floor, they finally managed to get a half decent rainbow going. Jason’s heart was thudding. What if they saw Percy seriously injured?

“Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering. We’d like to speak to Percy Jackson,” said Annabeth, rushing her words as she tossed the coin in. It disappeared.

There was a pause. Jason’s heart thumped furiously.

“ _We are sorry, but we do not seem able to grant your request. Perhaps you are experiencing connectivity issues or the receiver is unavailable to speak. Thank you for your understanding. If you are experiencing difficulties using our service, please leave your feedback after the tone.”_

The smooth woman’s voice stopped speaking and a beep sounded.

Annabeth screeched, swore, and swiped her hand through the rainbow, breaking connection, which pretty much summed up how Jason was feeling.

“Try again,” he demanded.

With shaky hands, Reyna adjusted the tap again as Annabeth pulled another coin out of her purse. Her hands were shaking.

“Oh Iris, Goddess—” she broke off into a scream, pulling out her new, imperial gold dagger as something stumbled out of the shadows into the kitchen.

“Wait, Annie—” Reyna stopped her from stabbing whatever, or whoever it was. “It’s Nico.”

“Nico?” Jason was aghast. He thought Nico was staying at Camp Half Blood with his boyfriend, excluding trips to visit Hazel. And boy, he looked even more like the embodiment of death than he normally did.

Reyna ran forwards to support him. He looked like he was going to collapse. “What is it? Nico, are you okay?”

“Percy,” he gasped. “My dad—Hades—he’s got Percy. No time to explain, he’s after me—quick, we need to go—”

Without another word, Jason and Reyna exchanged glances and grabbed their swords from the coat-hooks, before Nico grabbed all three of them and they melted into the shadows. 

***

Percy was so done with everything. Of course. The gods hadn’t fucked with him for over half a year, a little bit of character building was well overdue. Just as he was getting comfortable as well. He cursed and wondered if he’d gone blind—he’d regained consciousness but everything was pitch fucking black.

The pain all came crashing down on him at once and he let out a low groan, wondering what whoever the fuck kidnapped him wanted. He couldn’t move any of his limbs. Hesitantly, Percy leaned forwards but almost instantly hit a stone cold wall.

_Shit._ Percy tilted his head back. Another wall. He was completely caged into a tiny, stone box with no way out. Was the air getting thin? Maybe. Percy tried desperately not to hyperventilate and struggled to think clearly.

Who captured him? Percy mentally ran a list of everyone who had a bone to pick with him. Then he realised that it would probably be easier to run a list of everyone to _didn’t_ want to kill him, that would probably be easier.

Okay, so he needed to narrow it down from who wanted his blood to someone who wanted his blood and was powerful enough to capture him in the middle of Camp Jupiter. It had to be a god, no monster was that powerful.

He swore again, realising that the list of gods who hated him was kinda lengthy. Ares hated him. Maybe he was still salty about the sword fight back when Percy was twelve? It didn’t seem like his style though. It was always possible that it was Zeus or Hades, though Percy hadn’t done anything to piss them off recently. More likely Hades than Zeus—from Percy’s experience, Zeus liked a bit more flair. Or maybe it was another long-dead nasty from Tartarus wanting to overthrow the gods again.

Either way, he was well and truly screwed. He tried shouting but his voice was completely muffled from whatever tiny box he was in. The chains around his wrists didn’t budge however hard Percy strained and he tried feeling around for any sort of liquid to manipulate but there was nothing, only his own blood. He was out of options. All he could do was wait and pray someone would come save him.

Percy didn’t know how long he was in the box but it quite literally felt like eternity. He tried counting seconds but kept messing up—the highest he got was 1000 before he had to start again. How long was that? Maths was never his strong point, that was Annabeth’s job. 15 minutes? Something like that? It couldn’t be, he’d been there for ages.

Everything hurt. He felt like he’d been loaded into a tumble dryer. At least his shirt still smelled like Jason—it helped ground him. Jason would find him; however long it took him. Right? Would he?

Percy had never felt so alone and he was honestly too numb to cry. Fuck everything in his stupid, miserable life. If this was where he was going to die, then so be it—his breathing was definitely getting shallow. There was no real way to tell time but he felt like he’d been in there for at least 12 hours, maybe more. There was some irony in it, he thought bitterly—Perseus Jackson, survived two wars, supposedly the most powerful fucking demigod, hailed as some kind of hero, the whole shebang. And he was going to die in a tiny box because there was no air. Because Holy Hephaestus, the air was definitely getting really, really thin. Oh gods, he was suffocating.

“ _Perseus Jackson.”_

Finally, a voice. And a familiar one at that.

“Hades. I like what you’ve done with your voice, very dark and mysterious. Did you take pointers from Darth Vader?” he replied, trying to keep his voice even, but barely had the energy. He was definitely about to run out of oxygen; he couldn’t breathe and felt dizzy. “Nice of you to drop by anyway, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“ _Fool. Do you take me for an imbecile? Your arrogance never fails to astound me. But you slept with my wife, and you shall pay.”_

Wife? What? Percy wanted to ask him what kind of crack he was on and question why the hell he thought Percy had any interest in sleeping with Persephone, of all people.

But then the box fell away from him, leaving him to take deep, gasping breaths of fresh air, or at least as fresh as it could get in the underworld. But he barely had a second to recover because he was hit by a blinding wave of pain so strong he forgot his own name. He was on fire.

He couldn’t even try fight it: he couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t even scream. Then as quick as it had come, it was gone—but suddenly he was plunged into some sort of thick liquid which burned like he’d never felt before. And he couldn’t breathe. Against his will, he let out a sob but immediately, his lungs filled with whatever the liquid was. He was drowning.

Percy struggled harder than he’d ever done before, pure instinct taking over. He couldn’t think, not even to tell himself to calm down.

_No, no, not like this, please not like this…_

It happened again, and again. The burning fire and the suffocating darkness. So many times that he stopped struggling or panicking and his mind drew a blank, he became compliant and was just wishing for it all to be over. He was done with this, done with a life spent being used as a punching bag for everyone.

_Father, if you ever loved me just let me die._

But then, there was a change. He was too weak to move but he was definitely being carried somewhere. His limp body was loaded into a boat; from what he could tell. Where were they taking him? To more pain and torture? Percy tried to reach out and control the water but he was too weak and then a familiar acidic smell hit him. He was travelling on the Styx.

Without wasting any time to wonder what the hell they were doing to him, Percy made his decision. He was done with the gods; he was done with his life. Better be another lost soul or shattered dream wailing in the Styx than thrown around like a chew toy.

Percy, with a last burst of strength, flipped the boat and let himself sink into the Styx. It was done. He didn’t even feel the pain. He just let the numbness strip away his identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah and i'm leaving it there 
> 
> you may have noticed that i skipped the midweek update (sorry not sorry)  
> but i've posted a jercy one-shot (Last Chance to Back Out) so you can go check that out while you're waiting for the next chapter ;)  
> i'll be back with the next chapter next weekend!


	11. CHAPTER 11

“Shit, Nico,” Jason heard Reyna helping Nico up. They were definitely in the underworld at least—he’d never been but it was pretty easy to figure it out. He pulled his gladius out, thankful for the dim gold light it was radiating.

Annabeth drew her own dagger next to him, looking terrified but focussed. “It’s this way. I remember it from the last time I was here—with Percy. And Grover.”

She led the way, dagger held protectively in front of them. “At least we’re on the right side of the Styx, or we would’ve had to threaten Charon to take us across. Careful,” Annabeth reached out to steady Jason on the narrow bank. A few stones clattered into the grey liquid—Jason looked away quickly. There were faces in there and if he looked too closely, their wailing became words.

Reyna brought up in the rear, half-dragging a semi-conscious Nico. Jason could only hope Nico was strong enough to shadow travel them back, once they found Percy.

Something howled and it echoed though the cavern.

“What was that?” asked Reyna, in a taught voice. Jason knew she was terrified.

“It’s a good sign, it means we’re close,” replied Annabeth. “Besides, it’s only Cerberus.”

“Only Cerberus?” Jason started at her, aghast. They stopped before the entrance of Hades’ realm, leaving Jason to take it all in, in silence. There were more, wispy human forms than he could possibly count, all in neat lines. Then he saw Cerberus.

“A Rottweiler?”

Annabeth allowed herself a thin smile. “That’s what Percy said, last time.”

“Annabeth? Where are you going? You’re going to get yourself eaten,” hissed Jason, pulling her back. “We need a plan to get past the monster.”

“Just trust me,” the steely glint was back in her eyes and that gave Jason some sort of motivation—they were going to succeed getting Percy back or die trying.

Cerberus spotted Annabeth immediately and ran straight for her. Jason was halfway down the hill and about to stab the damn thing but somehow, Annabeth hadn’t been eaten? And Cerberus was wagging his tail? And sitting?

“Good boy, Cerberus,” she reached up to pat one of his heads. “I’m so sorry but mummy’s just passing through, she has to save Percy. Do you remember Percy? Awww. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll come down here to play with you more and when I’m dead, I’ll play with you every day. Fuck Hades, he’s a shit master, isn’t he?”

Cerberus whined and licked her but let the three of them past after Annabeth patted his head and called him a good boy again.

“Annabeth, what in the ever-loving _fuck_ —”

She just shrugged. “He’s lonely.”

“Guys,” warned Reyna. “We need a plan. What are we going to do, march up to Hades and demand Percy back?”

“Yes,” said Annabeth and Jason quietly, at the same time. Jason knew it was hopeless and they were probably going to die, but he also knew that he’d die before leaving without Percy. “Have you got a better plan?”

Reyna sighed heavily and seemed to resign herself to what they were about to do. “No. May Bellona be on our sides and give us fair judgement in the afterlife. If we die, I blame Percy.”

And Jason felt a lump forming in his throat, hoping that Percy knew he was loved if he was dead already. Because if he was, Jason was going to tear down the underworld with his bare hands or happily die in the attempt and he knew that Annabeth and Reyna would do the same.

_Brick by brick. If Percy’s dead, I’ll tear this place up brick by brick._

“Hades,” Jason stepped forwards to face the throne. “What did you do to him?”

Hades looked smug as he lounged on the throne. As expected, he was dressed in layers of dark black robes that shimmered with faces of the dead and was holding a tall, jewelled staff carved with images of sinners suffering. Jason thought it was extra, but then again so were all the gods.

“Son of Jupiter. Brave,” he drawled. “I don’t remember welcoming you to the underworld.”

“What have you done with Percy?” Jason said again, his voice steely. He wasn’t in the mood for Hades’ games.

“Why would that concern the likes of you? He wronged me.” Hades sat up a little straighter, his expression darkening. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees and Jason felt a whoosh as a darkness settled on the ground, thicker than smoke.

Jason didn’t flinch. “Where is he?”

Hades just shrugged, more darkness rolling off him in waves. Persephone, who was sitting in the pale white throne next to him, shivered. She looked out of place and miserable and the poplar her throne was made out of looked like bones. Jason could tell even she was nervous—she was staring straight ahead and refused to acknowledge the Lord of the Dead.

“Where is he? He didn’t do anything.”

“So he didn’t tell his little demigod friends. How precious. Either way, he wronged me. You’ll be pleased to know that he’s most certainly dead by now.”

Jason could only stare at Hades, open-mouthed. His words weren’t sinking in. Percy, dead? Percy, with his laughing green eyes, stupid sense of humour and snarky smile? The same Percy who suffered his whole life but was still so, so alive, so vibrant, so bright, brilliant and sarcastic? Jason could feel his brain shutting down. It was impossible. Percy couldn’t be dead.

Hades laughed at the blank denial on Jason’s face. And that did it for him.

Something snapped inside Jason and suddenly, he was charging at Hades, sword swinging, and all he could see was white hot rage. The mirth on Hades’ face vanished fell like a dead man and when Jason’s first bolt of lightning split the cavern, struck him and forced him violently to his knees.

The whole cavern was shaking as Jason let lightning fall from the roof with abandon, beating Hades down. Persephone had fled and was hiding behind her throne. Good. Next to him, Annabeth and Reyna were cleaving down hoards of the dead like stalks of wheat, but Hades was starting to stand again.

Somewhere, in a distant part of his mind, Jason realised this was where he was going to die and found that he didn’t care. Any sense of self-preservation was gone as he advanced on Hades: he wanted blood. He wanted Hades to suffer for extinguishing the beautiful spark that was Percy—it was Hades who’d taken him away. Hades who made sure that Percy would never laugh again, or tease his friends, or play with his baby sister, or hold onto Jason like there was no tomorrow. Because he couldn’t, not anymore.

Hades stood up and waves of darkness were rolling from his cloak. Annabeth was down—she was on the floor and fighting with her left hand while Reyna stood over her protectively. Nico had only just woken up from unconsciousness and was crawling towards them. They were losing and there was nothing Jason could do about that: yes, he was the Son of Jupiter without anything to lose, fighting alongside two daughters of war goddesses and the Prince of the Dead, but they were against a whole undead army and the Lord of the Underworld.

Jason gritted his teeth and ignored the sharp pain on his face when Hades sent a dagger at his face. He had no control of his powers anymore; there were chunks of rock falling from the ceiling left, right and centre as lighting hit at random. Fine, maybe he wouldn’t kill Hades but he’d bring down the whole place. As he blindly pushed forwards, the hate in his blood only increased. The gods didn’t care. Maybe if he died, Jupiter would give Hades a telling-off but in his heart Jason knew. He knew the gods never gave a shit about them and they wouldn’t care that Percy was gone, and never coming back.

_One scratch._ Jason finally got close enough to stab at Hades and felt grim satisfaction when he saw a drop of gold spill from the god’s side. But even as he did, Jason knew it was hopeless. He was tiring.

“Give up, son of Jupiter. You’ll die,” he snarled, his blade clashing with Jason’s. Jason stumbled back down the stairs, arms trembling with the strain.

“Good,” he snarled straight back. Hades lifted his iron blade again and in his heart, Jason knew this was it. In the slowest second he’d ever experienced, he realised that Reyna, Annabeth and Nico were hopelessly outnumbered and they were about to be overcome. He saw their faces: Nico, terrified and exhausted; Annabeth, grim acceptance on her face; and Reyna, for once without the powerful control she maintained: she looked desperate in the way she shielded the two behind her with her body, even as the undead came crawling closer and closer. Jason turned back to Hades, the beginnings of laughter on his lips. He raised his blade, but he knew it was too late, he was too weak. And he didn’t care when Hades’ blade came down towards his heart.

***

The numbness in his body felt beautiful. Percy couldn’t feel the pain anymore, just a dull burn stripping away his identity. Maybe his soul would weep and stay in the river for eternity but in all honesty he didn’t care. He felt light, without any emotion or feeling or responsibility looming over him.

And slowly, even the dull, burning pain disappeared and was replaced with warmth. He felt safe. Comfortable. And for the first time, a tiny hint of confusion made its way into Percy’s blank mind. It felt familiar. Where had he felt like this before?

He couldn’t remember his own name but still, he struggled as hard as he could to remember what he was feeling. Warm. Safe. Comfortable. A soft, even breath on his neck and that early morning feeling of lightness. It was silent, but not oppressive—more like the light kind where noise wasn’t needed to reach a connection.

Someone laughed softly behind him, leaving the ghost of a kiss on the back of his neck. He wanted so desperately to turn around—he wasn’t sure when the transition happened but instead of darkness, everything was light and still. And he could smell something soft and familiar, but he couldn’t place what it was exactly.

_Jason?_

Someone stroked his cheek but still Percy couldn’t see who it was. And for the first time, Percy felt a strong tug on his heart. He gasped at the physical feeling of longing that pierced him and he knew he had to turn around—it felt like a string tied to his heart.

“Get up, Perce. You’re late for college, again.”

And with the most strength he’d ever used in his life, Percy followed the pulling on his heart and turned around.

_Jason?_

“Come on then, dumbass. We’re all waiting for you.” The boy in front of him smiled, holding out his hand to help him up.

And his voice sounded so beautiful, so familiar, that he almost cried.

_Jason, I’m trying._

“Are you getting up or not, seaweed brain?” laughed another voice from behind Jason. A blonde girl.

_Annabeth?_

And then there were more people, all standing with him in the still, white space but separated like they were in a dimension he wasn’t. All he knew was that he wanted to be there with them.

“You know I love you, plankton, but I’ve told you to stop leaving your armour in the hallway.”

“Bro, the hell you still sitting there for? We have a circus to run.”

“I’ve baked blue cookies for you honey, they’re here when you want them.”

“Brother?”

“Pe-e-e-ercy, look at that!”

_Mum? Leo? Reyna, Grover, Tyson?_

And the pain was trickling back with every movement that Percy made but he didn’t care. With one last, desperate lunge he reached for Jason’s hand and took that last, desperate chance for them. For life.

And for a second, he thought he was too late—he got one beautiful second when his fingertips touched Jason’s but suddenly his little bubble dissolved in pain and grey.

Percy burst out onto the banks of the Styx, the whole river rising behind him. The whole cavern was shaking violently and Percy stupidly wondered if there was an earthquake but then he saw it and time stopped.

He ignored Achilles’ spirit staring at him with an incredulous expression on his face and with a violent surge of power, Percy screamed, Riptide already out of his pocket. The whole Styx burst from its banks and carried Percy forwards on a wave of pain. Jason was kneeling at the foot of the throne, a wild, wolfish expression of hatred on his face. It was scary, that cruel smirk of indifference, especially as he was wearing it while Hades’ blade came down towards his throat.

Percy sent Hades flying backwards with a violent flick of his wrist and the Styx, foaming in his control, dissolved the thousands of spirits surrounding Percy’s friends. Jason turned around in shock and Percy realised how battered he looked, but there was no time to do anything apart from hoist him to his feet and turn back to face Hades, together.

And fuck, they worked well as a team. Giddy with power, Percy expertly lifted the Styx as Jason whipped it up into a storm, lightning still crashing through the cavern and they surged towards Hades. Percy spared a glance at Jason, a maniacal laugh tumbling from his mouth—Jason’s eyes were crackling with pure ice-white electricity and there was a cruel smirk on his lips as the both of them pummelled Hades.

And as Percy lifted Hades up to face them on a wave of grey liquid, he knew that they were winning against the Lord of the Dead. Jason was expertly slashing the obsidian daggers Hades was sending at them out of the air with his gladius but Percy just stood there. Let Hades try touch him, he was invincible and the fucker was going to pay.

Let the gods try him one more time. After all he’d done for them. They’d taken down titans, monsters and giants before, for the gods. And as Percy started to force the burning grey liquid underneath Hades’ skin, he knew that if he wanted, he could kill a god as well. 


	12. CHAPTER 12

Hades was about to die. And Jason couldn’t give less of a shit—in fact, he’d be lying if he tried to say he wasn’t enjoying the fear in Hades’ eyes as he was steadily beaten down by the children of his two brothers.

But then, Jason made the mistake of turning around. He saw Reyna, Annabeth and Nico huddled against the wall, no longer fighting—Percy had taken out the whole skeleton army with a tsunami of Styx water. They were safe. But Jason did a double take, his confidence faltering for a second: Reyna, for once, was speechless in horror. Annabeth was a shaking mess, frozen in terror and Nico was trying to stand up, mouthing at them to stop.

_Hades was about to die._ Jason saw Percy next to him, laughing as he twisted the Styx and forced it into Hades’ bloodstream, while Hades just lay there, unconscious. The frothy grey liquid around him was tinged with streaks of gold—Percy had literally forced the god’s golden ichor out of the pores in his skin and it was making cruelly beautiful patterns in the storm.

And finally, a shred of common sense pierced the wave of rage he was riding on.

“Percy!” no response.

Jason grabbed his face and forced him to look into his eyes. “ _Perseus!”_

A flash of uncertainty crossed his face. For a second, Jason panicked—did Percy even recognise him after his dip in the Styx? But then the churning grey of his eyes melted away and they were back to Mediterranean green and he looked scared.

Jason caught them when the storm stopped all at once and the Styx retreated to its banks. Hades collapsed, unmoving, and Persephone rushed out from behind her throne to assist him.

Then suddenly, Nico, Annabeth and Reyna were next to them and they were gone, melting into the shadows.

All five of them collapsed, spluttering, in the shore of the Tiber. It was already late at night, by the looks of things.

“Why aren’t we in the camp?”

“Percy. He can’t get past the Tiber.”

“Shit, Nico! Nico! He’s not breathing.”

“I’ve got him; I’ll get him to medical right now—”

“Go with them Annabeth, your arm is fucked—”

“I’m fine—”

“You’re not, you’re about to pass out. Percy… he can’t cross the Tiber just yet. We’ll be okay.”

Annabeth nodded, cast a scared glance at them and followed Reyna and Nico across to the medical centre.

And Jason was left with Percy. He was trembling in the snow, looking terrified.

“Jason, I—we almost killed him. We nearly killed _Hades._ ”

“Shit Perce, I know. He said you were dead and something just snapped—” Jason was almost afraid to touch him, scared that he wasn’t actually there.

“I didn’t die. I bathed in the Styx again, I’m invulnerable.”

“I know,” and Jason took Percy into his arms again, as Percy started sobbing into his chest. And fuck, he was definitely alive. He could have cried in relief.

“What am I going to do? Jason, we nearly destroyed a god. And I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was _hurt_ him, I promised Annabeth I’d never do that again. I fucking bent the blood of a god,” he buried his face further into Jason’s shirt, sentences broken with heaving sobs. “I’m a monster. I don’t deserve to live. But I saw him about to kill you and something just snapped—gods, I should’ve just died. The gods will never let me live after this, I’m dead.”

“You’re not,” Jason pulled Percy away from his chest to look him the eyes and spoke firmly but quietly. Inwardly he was panicking but he had to get a grip. “Hades had it coming. The gods can’t come for you. You are your father’s favourite son and a hero of Olympus.”

“Does it matter?” cried Percy in desperation. “They’re gods, they don’t care.”

“Fuck them. Fuck all of them. If they try, I won’t let them take you. We’ll go somewhere, somewhere where even the gods can’t find us. Have you ever been to Australia, Percy? Or Siberia? We’ll survive alone, we’re strong. You’re invulnerable.”

“We can’t. Jason, it’s borrowed time, all of it. I’m a mortal. Eventually I’ll die and my soul will return for judgement. Stay here Jason, the gods won’t hurt you. I’ll go alone.”

“Percy,” Jason cut him off and grabbed his shoulders. “I don’t care. A mortal lifetime is short. Call it borrowed time as much as you like but in the end that’s just what life is—100 years of borrowed time. And I’ll happily spend eternity suffering, if only I get to spend a lifetime with you.”

And Percy stopped. All at once, he stopped panicking and just looked into Jason’s eyes, really looked at him. Neither dared move—the moment seemed to hang between them on a thread. Jason didn’t dare blink for fear of missing it.

He was so close to Percy he could feel their hearts thumping together. _Alive. They were alive._

Then Percy seemed to melt in Jason’s arms and Jason was dizzy, so dizzy and so, so tired but he didn’t care anymore. The world narrowed down to just Percy, lying on the snow underneath Jason.

“Jason…”

But then there was a flash of light and Jason threw Percy behind him to shield him with his own body and screaming _no._ After all they’d been through and it was too late. Jupiter and Neptune—no, Zeus and Poseidon—were standing in front of them.

“Son, step aside. Now.”

“No!”

“We won’t harm him. But he does have to answer for his deeds.”

“Father, I won’t! I’m just as responsible. And it’s Hades’ own fucking fault for kidnapping him.”

“He slept with Hades’ wife. That is never without consequence.”

Wife? Wait, shit. The dots connected in Jason’s head. The girl Percy shagged in the bathroom—she looked familiar. In disguise, yes, but subtly like the woman who approached Percy back at Camp Half-Blood, and the same woman who was cowering behind her throne while her husband was beaten down. Penelope… _Persephone._ Fuck.

“So?” snapped Jason. “I don’t care. Fuck you. Why does it involve the rest of the gods? You’re cheaters, both of you. And so is Hades. Why are you punishing Percy?”

Jason had no energy left. He was completely dead. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he dimly registered that for the second time that day, he was certain he was about to take his last breath and didn’t care.

“Jason,” whispered Percy, from behind him. Jason could feel him shaking. “Move.”

“No, I won’t.” Jason’s voice was surprisingly steady, considering he was frozen in fear.

“You heard the boy. Step aside, son.”

“I won’t. You’ll have to kill your own son first.”

A moment passed in silence and Jason honestly thought Zeus was about to smite him.

But then Poseidon spoke for the first time. “He won’t be hurt. I’ll make sure of it.”

And there was something about Poseidon’s stern but gentle voice that made Jason relax. Maybe it was the fact his calm manner was so unlike Percy’s usual cheeky smirk but so similar at the same time. Either way, it forced Jason to trust him.

He didn’t move aside exactly, but he didn’t resist when Percy gently untangled himself from behind Jason and stepped forwards on shaky legs.

A pool of dread filled Jason, looking at his best friend standing in front of two of the most powerful gods: Percy was strong. His power had only grown since the giant war—this boy was already considered a threat to Olympus when he was 12 and since then, he’d become invulnerable twice, fought gods and if anyone could tear down Olympus, it was Percy Jackson. He was too dangerous for the gods. Possibly too dangerous to be left alive.

Jason tried reaching out again, but there was another flash of light and Jason screamed, because for the second time that day, Percy was gone.

He was done. Jason curled up in the snow and just lay there. He couldn’t even feel the cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit uh... does that count as another cliffhanger?  
> at least y'all got two chapters this weekend
> 
> also there's a pretty explicit Ares/Percy thing I decided to post cos it's been sitting unread on my laptop for a while so if you're into some depressing themes of mortality and rough godly sex, go for it


	13. CHAPTER 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's good
> 
> i just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your comments they really give me life xx
> 
> anyways here's the chapter (a bit shorter than usual but oh well)   
> i spent 2 hours trying to restart my slow-ass computer to post this lmao

Jason didn’t know when he’d drifted out of consciousness but he eventually woke up. Much to his disappointment. Somehow, he hadn’t frozen to death and Jason blamed his father. It would be just like him to force Jason to live a cruel existence.

“Jason?”

“Percy?” Maybe he was dead after all.

But then Percy shook him and all the cold and weariness hit him at once. No, he was definitely still alive. And that meant—

Jason sat up so fast he nearly fainted and grabbed Percy to him in a crushing hug. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have let you go…”

“Jason, it’s alright. It was just a trial,” he smiled and wiped a tear from Jason’s cheek.

“I thought… I thought I lost you. Again.” Jason buried his face into Percy’s neck and cried. He still smelled distinctly like Percy and it was so comforting and familiar.

“Hey, it’s alright,” whispered Percy, letting him cry himself out. “I’m alive. Nearly wasn’t, but here I am.”

“What do you mean, ‘nearly wasn’t’?”

“I mean,” said Percy, with his cheeky smile. “It wouldn’t be the first time that the Olympians have voted to execute me.”

“Of course, Perseus,” Jason gave a watery chuckle. “Fucking typical. Should’ve fucking known.”

“You’re frozen,” scolded Percy, swinging a leg around to straddle Jason, who’s brain immediately short-circuited. “Why did you wait here all night? Why didn’t you go back to camp?”

“Couldn’t face it. I thought—” his voice choked up at the end because Percy was really here, in Jason’s arms, warm and alive. “What happened?”

“You’ve probably worked it out but yeah. Turns out Penelope was actually Persephone. If I’d known, there was no way in Hades I’d have done it. I want nothing to do with the gods and I told them as much. But yeah, the council decided it was self-defence because we stopped before we—” Percy gulped. “You know. Before we killed a god. Either way, I don’t think the gods wanted to piss off Poseidon. So here I am. Alive. They do have a condition though; I think they’re scared of me—”

“No shit,” muttered Jason.

“But yeah. I’m too powerful,” Percy mock-flexed his biceps in a weak attempt of humour. “They’re making me wash away the curse. Otherwise, Hades can’t touch us because of this. And I don’t think he’d want to either… we screwed him over real bad.”

“That’s okay. You would have had to cross the Tiber anyway, to come home.”

Percy just smiled sadly. “Not necessarily. Jason, if I wanted to I could lift the Tiber and walk straight underneath.”

And it took Jason’s breath away and made his toes curl because he knew it was true. Percy could manipulate the Styx, and even a god’s blood. He was so powerful that controlling the first defence of Rome would be trivial. Jason looked at him and knew Percy could do anything, but he didn’t fear it.

“You could. But would you?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Percy, looking towards the grey dawn beginning to mass in the east. “If I’d crossed without thinking about it, then there’s no way I would have gone back. Why would I make myself more vulnerable? I’m so fucking _paranoid_ all the time Jason, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m always scared something’s gonna happen again, and this time I won’t be so lucky, this time I won’t be able to save anyone. Even though I know it’s over. But it’s not over really, is it? It’s never over.”

“Why not? We can hope. There’s no prophecy anymore. We’re demigods, it will never be easy. But I don’t think it will ever be as hard again.”

“Maybe. But that’s what I thought last time and…” Percy sighed and rested his head on Jason’s shoulder.

“I know. I know. It’s not fair, it’s never fair. But if I’d do it again a million times over because it’s worth it, isn’t it? It’s worth it for moments like these.”

They sat in silence for a while as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds and spilled onto the snow like a million tiny flecks of gold and red.

“No,” admitted Percy. “I wouldn’t have kept it. Whether the gods told me to or not. I don’t want invulnerability or the responsibility that comes with it. I just want a life with… with you. With everyone.”

“Where is it? You know?” Jason asked, mouth dry.

Percy knew what he was talking about right away and pulled off his shirt, his skin bumpy in the cold winter air. “Same as last time.”

Jason didn’t know where last time was but instinctively ran his hand his hand down Percy’s back, one hand still looped around his waist. He knew when he’d found it. Percy arched his back ever so slightly and his mouth fell open in a moan so soft that Jason wasn’t sure he’d heard it. Honestly, Jason didn’t think he’d seen anything more beautiful—the expression on Percy’s face, torn between trust and anguish, made Jason feel closer to him than he’d ever before.

He kept his finger there a second more before standing up, Percy’s legs still wrapped tightly around his waist. The Tiber’s perfectly clear colour was gold in new morning light as the sun reflected off the white stone at the bottom.

“Percy, stand,” commanded Jason, once they reached the middle. Slowly, Percy lowered his legs into the Tiber and immediately gasped, leaning on Jason heavily. But Jason held him tightly and didn’t falter when Percy more or less transferred his whole weight onto Jason’s shoulders. He looked so weak and so mortal that it touched something in Jason’s heart and reminded him how lucky they were to both be alive.

Then, he lifted Percy again and with the last of his strength flew them to their apartment and banged on the door, too weak to get his keys out of his pocket. Reyna threw open the door in less than a second, looking ashen. Annabeth was right behind her, with her arm in a sling.

“Fuck, we were so worried—”

“Nico?” asked Jason, beginning to see dark spots clouding his vision. It was a miracle he was still standing, to be honest.

“He’s being looked after, he’s fine—”

Somehow, Jason actually made it to the bedroom before dumping Percy on the bed and collapsing. He dimly felt Reyna lifting him onto the bed as well and forcing warm nectar down his throat before he passed out.


	14. CHAPTER 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how the fuck is it already september?

Percy woke up 24 hours later, screaming and disorientated. He was suffocating again, Hades was torturing him, he was sure of it—there was darkness surrounding him, closing off his head.

“Percy, wake up, it’s a dream.” Jason was there straight away, holding Percy as he took deep, gasping breaths and tried to make sense of his surroundings. He wasn’t dead. He was in Jason’s bed and it was morning. And he felt like he’d been slapped by a Hyperborean.

“Shit, you’re fucking cold.”

“So are you, Grace.”

“I’m fine,” insisted Jason, dragging Percy out of bed. “Your clothes are still soaked.”

Percy couldn’t even be bothered to magic himself dry. “So are yours.”

“I’m fine, you’re not.”

“Shut up mum.”

“Oi, watch it, Jackson. Get your ass into the showers right now, you’re literally shaking. How you feeling?”

“Yeah. I guess. Okay.” Percy let himself be shoved into the bathroom but lacked the motivation to actually get his clothes off and shower.

He didn’t know what he was doing with his life anymore. Just as he was getting comfortable as well, and then suddenly, the gods were back trying to kill him. Suffocating darkness hit him every time he closed his eyes and there was no adrenaline left in his body to fight it off. He couldn’t be bothered to be strong anymore—after the past two wars, he’d tried so fucking hard to pull himself together and turn his life back to normal. But he’d fallen apart completely after the giant war and pushed people away.

Yes, he’d recovered somewhat and was trying to heal but if it just kept happening again and again? He remembered the way he’d given up so easily when Hades was trying to break him and he shuddered. Maybe the thought that he’d nearly let himself just die should have scared him more but it was just numb, at this point. He’d been thrown in the face of death too often for it to have much of an effect. Percy didn’t know how much more he could take. He was so tired. Of everything.

He finally stood up and took off his shirt, catching sight of himself in the small mirror over the sink. Subconsciously, he turned around, just in case Hades was lurking behind him again. Percy had to tell himself that it was fine, Hades wasn’t allowed to touch him.

He turned back to the mirror and faced himself. Fuck, he looked tired. And when did he get this old? He was sure 18 year olds weren’t supposed to look halfway through a midlife crisis. Although, 18 was pretty midlife for a demigod. Percy tried standing up somewhat and adopting his usual slightly slouched posture and smirk. Maybe he could see why people said he looked scary, he supposed. Then, he tried straightening his spine and adopting the regal look Reyna and Annabeth wore. Honestly, he looked ridiculous. Maybe if he…?

No. Jason’s look of quiet command didn’t suit his face either. He slumped back down against the sink and stared at his stupid, shirtless self, looking pathetic and weary beyond belief. Maybe it would have been easier if he’d just died on a quest or something then been hailed as a hero then forgotten in a decade.

“Percy? You haven’t started the shower yet.” Jason knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” his voice cracked. “Fine.”

Jason opened the door anyway, looking at Percy leaning over the sink in concern. “Perce?”

Percy looked at him, with his soft expression of concern and pale blue eyes and fluffy sleep-hair and suddenly, he was mad.

“I’m fine. Get out.”

“You’re not fine.”

“Just fuck off Jason, okay?” Percy was shaking again but didn’t know why.

An expression of hurt flashed across his face but still, Jason didn’t move. “No.”

“Fuck you Jason. Fuck you. Why did you come after me?”

“Uhhh… because I care about you? Because I don’t want you to die? What kind of question is that?”

“You were about to _die_ Jason, he told you I was dead. Why didn’t you just go home? Why did you attack him?” snapped Percy, stepping forwards and shoving Jason in the chest. He had no idea where this sudden spark of anger came from.

Jason grabbed his wrists, fixing Percy with the wolf stare. “Do you have any idea how much it hurt, Percy? He laughed. He fucking laughed. And all I could do was stand there and let it sink in that this _cunt_ took my best friend away from me.”

“You were going to die!” snarled Percy, trying furiously not to cry again.

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’? You were going to die!” Percy was breathing heavily.

Jason let go of his wrists and turned on the shower. Every movement was tense as Percy glared at him. “Get in the shower Perce, you’re still freezing.”

Percy stormed past him and sat down on the floor of the shower, without bothering take off his sweatpants. He shut his eyes and let the hot water flow down his head, trying to relax. Fuck Jason and fuck everything because gods be damned, Percy Jackson was irrevocably in love with his best friend.

He heard the door slam and Jason walk out of the bathroom. _Good._

But still, he couldn’t help feel a little heaviness in his chest. Yes, he was in love with his best friend. Now that he’d admitted it to himself and allowed himself to say it to himself.

_I love you Jason._

There. That was easy. Now all he had to do was say it to Jason. But it really wasn’t that easy, was it? _But that’s just what life is, isn’t it? Borrowed time. And it’s worth it to spend a lifetime with you._ The realisation had hit him like Apollo’s chariot then, when Jason looked him straight in eye and told him he was willing to go to hell for eternity if it meant a mortal lifetime with Percy. Was that something best friends said to each other?

What if Percy told Jason that the only reason he survived the Styx was the memory of Jason’s safe arms? Would he find that weird? What if it only pushed Jason away?

Percy remembered the scream Jason had let out when Zeus and Poseidon teleported him to Olympus. It was hands-down the worst sound he’d ever heard in his life and he knew that Jason’s hollow, ringing scream would haunt him for the rest of his life. It was guttural and heart-wrenching and even Zeus had an expression of remorse on his face when he heard it. That was all Percy could think about during his trial—he wasn’t even listening to the gods waffling about the logistics of his non-existent crime. Fuck Persephone. And when the gods let him back down and he saw Jason, usually so strong, lying on the snow helplessly? Percy was aching all over.

He low key wanted to stay in the shower forever, maybe drown. That would be convenient. Easier than thinking. But when the shower finally started running out of hot water, Percy forced himself to stand up and get his act together. He’d chosen life, after all, and it was waiting for him whether he liked it or not.

He pulled off his sopping wet sweatpants and discarded them on the bathroom floor, knowing that he’d get shit for it later but not particularly caring. Jason would whine at him but at least he wasn’t as scary as Reyna, who’s meticulous Roman legion cleaning habits terrorised Percy on a regular. To his surprise, Percy found the corners of his lips lifting at the memory of Jason and Reyna raging at him leaving the dishes out again.

Percy washed his hair quickly and slipped on a random fresh pair of Jason’s track pants. He hurried to the kitchen still drying his hair with the towel, with intentions of apologising to him for snapping. But the second he stepped into the kitchen, he was tackled and judo flipped by none other than Annabeth in a sling.

“Seaweed brain, you _idiot—_ ” her eyes were tinged with red. “I thought you were dead!”

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly and those words were the first he spoke to her in ages. Suddenly, the guilt for not speaking her for almost four months hit him. “For everything—”

“Shut up dumbass. I’m glad you’re not dead.” Then she pulled him into a crushing hug. Once he’s recovered from his surprise, he hugged her back, tightly. He’d missed her. For the first time since their breakup, Percy realised that he didn’t feel wistful or hurt and found that he could really respect her decision. Gods, he’d been a self-absorbed idiot.

He looked up from over her shoulder to smile at Jason, who was grinning at him from his usual place on the kitchen counter. Reyna just rolled her eyes over her cup of coffee.

Annabeth finally let him go. “Don’t do that again.”

“Wasn’t intentional,” he muttered, but couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

In the next second, there was a shout and the door burst open. Leo, Piper, Frank and Hazel burst in, yelling at him, while Nico offered a small wave in the background.

“What is this, Percy? What did I hear about you nearly dying again?”

“Captured?”

“Man, Plankton, I’m glad you’re still alive!”

And he was surrounded by his friends congratulating him on being alive and smiling and laughing and Reyna in the background demanding they take their shoes off the carpet because there was snow in the landing.

Percy was suddenly very glad he was alive too.


	15. CHAPTER 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so today i learned that it says chapter number automatically and my chapter titles are literally Chapter 15: CHAPTER 15 
> 
> whoops
> 
> oh well i've committed now

Percy smiled fondly, watching his friends bickering. It was dark and freezing and most of the other campers were inside their cabins, watching movies like any other sensible person during Christmas. A few of his friends were staying at Camp Half Blood for the Christmas holidays, with the exception of Annabeth and Piper, who were visiting parents, and Reyna, who was visiting Hylla.

Percy was at Camp for most of the holidays, except for Christmas Eve and Day, when he was going to drag Jason to his mum’s apartment to spend the night. He knew his parents loved Jason and insisted that he came

“I told you, it’s not going to work. It’s a myth.”

“My whole life is a myth, Grover. Who says I can’t summon a spirit in a campfire?” Leo waved a burning stick dangerously close to Grover’s face, who jumped back swearing about filthy fire users destroying nature.

“Relax, for the last time, it’s driftwood. No trees were harmed in the making of the campfire, it’s Lord of the Wild friendly.”

“Stay away from me, Valdez. You and your flammable hands.”

“It’s green fire, it’s nature fire. Vegan fire.”

“Shit, Leo, that’s a fucking revelation. Does that mean if I toast my marshmallows in it, they’ll be vegan?” Percy chucked another piece of wood onto their driftwood fire, which was burning a ghostly green in the dark.

“Yeah, course. What time is it anyways? The book says we gotta try summon it at midnight.”

“3 more minutes.”

“Why did I agree to come with you guys anyway?” complained Grover, huddling further into his coat. “I don’t understand why Dionysus even agreed to pause the summer magic barrier anyway. This is miserable.”

“Embrace the nature, amigo. Lord of the Wild and that. And you needed to be here, the book specifically said there needs to be three people for this to work.”

“Hooray. Can’t wait. Where’s this book from anyway?”

“Fuck knows, but it’s not Greek. It’s in Latin. Me and Percy think it could possibly be Roman, but when Jesus became kind of a big deal.”

“Who are we summoning?”

“Some spirit, I don’t know.”

“He’s called Elmo,” supplied Percy. “Only he doesn’t know it yet.”

“This is a terrible idea,” bleated Grover. “Why me?”

“Pussy. Look, it’s nearly midnight, draw the pentagram Percy!”

Percy drew the pentagram in the sand and Leo started chanting, but ruined the spooky effect when he started laughing halfway through.

“Shut up Leo and finish it!”

“We’re going to die. I can’t watch,” bleated Grover. Percy and Leo leaned closer to the fire, eagerly. They couldn’t see anything in the flames but was that a weird shape?

Suddenly, there was a strong, cold blast of wind that all but extinguished the fire. Percy waited, his body tingling. Had it actually worked? A dark shadow skittered across the sand in front of them.

“Boo!”

“AAAAAAAARRGRGHHHH!” shrieked Percy and Leo in an extremely un-macho way, both reaching to grab Grover in their terror.

Jason, Nico and Calypso fell out of the bushes they were hiding in because they were laughing so hard.

“Fuck you Jason!” shrieked Percy, scooping up a handful of sand to throw at them. Jason didn’t even try to retaliate because he was still dying with laughter. Leo jumped up, cursing every god in Olympus, in Spanish, also throwing handfuls of sand with abandon.

“Alright, alright, guys, stop,” wheezed Jason, spitting pieces of sand out of his mouth. “That was funny. We got you good.”

“ _Jodete!”_

“Go away!”

“Fine, fine. We’ll be inside, in the warm, watching a movie,” laughed Jason, and with that, he, Nico and Calypso ran away from their sand attack, still cackling, leaving Percy, Leo and Grover to clean up the remains of their fire.

Leo’s face softened immediately. “Man, I love her. Calypso. Once we get out of high school, we’re gonna start up a shop: Leo and Calypso’s Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters.”

“Aw, Leo. Cute,” giggled Percy, nudging his dreamy-eyed friend in the ribs. “Aren’t you coming to college, though?”

Leo shrugged casually. “Cally thinks it would be a good idea to get an official degree or qualification or something. So more people will come. Might go to Rome and just get the damn degree in a year. How’s Juniper, Grover?”

It was Grover’s turn to go misty-eyed as he dumped sand over the last embers of their fire. “I think I’m gonna marry her. We’ve been dating for ages now and everything is perfect, we even work well long-distance.”

“Damn, congrats man!” Percy slapped his best mate on the back. “Have you bought the ring yet? You think she’ll say yes?”

“Course she’ll say yes,” smirked Leo. “They’re so sappy it’s disgusting.”

“Thanks for the support,” snorted Grover. “I’ve got the ring, right here. I always carry it around so she can’t find it.”

Percy and Leo crowded around the little box to admire the slim silver ring. Leo let out a low whistle. “If she says no, I’ll take it.”

“Shut up,” whined Grover, but they could both tell he didn’t really mind. It gave Percy a weird feeling and he felt so, so old—he was only 18, and his middle school best friend was already getting married.

“If I’m not the best man, I’ll throw hands,” quipped Percy, realising with a pang of regret that he was the only single one.

“C’mon man, of course you are. If she says yes.”

“Yay!” Percy cheered.

“What’s with your love life anyway Percy? Who’s the girl? I’m surprised you haven’t said anything about her yet,” remarked Grover.

“Uhhh… what? I’m single.”

“Re-e-e-eally?”

“Why you assuming? Is it my dashing good looks?” Percy posed ridiculously.

Grover rolled his eyes. “Stop sticking out your bum Perseus, there’s nothing there.”

“Hey!”

“But man, you’ve been obsessing for ages now. I watched you pining for Annabeth for 5 years, I think I know the signs thank you. Look at you, I’ve got stupid, awkward 12-year-old lovesick Percy back. Besides, we have an empathy link bro, I can feel your emotions to some extent.”

“Shit. Okay fine, there’s a hitch in the love life.”

Leo’s jaw dropped. “Percy? Pining? Not the same Percy I know, the token campus slag?”

“Shut up,” muttered Percy, going red. “I’ve stopped sleeping around. Since. You know. Persephone.”

“Who is it?” grinned Leo, an excited glint in his eye.

“I’m not saying.”

“C’mon, Percyyy,” he whined. “Is she fit? Who’s the chick?”

Percy felt his blush deepen and knew he probably resembled a sunburnt Cyclops. “It’s not a girl.”

“How did you meet? Is he in your classes? Wait, did you accidentally fall for one of your one night stands?”

“I liked him before we… you know. And I like him for so many more reasons than that.”

“Holy Hephaestus,” gasped Leo, jumping up. “Is it Jason? Please say it’s Jason.”

“It might be Jason,” mumbled Percy, his face feeling like a flaming red Dorito.

“YEESSSSSSS!” shrieked Leo, running a circle in excitement as Percy laughed and buried his face into his hands.

“Wait,” Leo stopped dead. “Wait. YOU SLEPT WITH JASON?”

“Shut up!” hissed Percy furiously, tackling Leo to the ground. “Not so loud! We were drunk and it was an accident!”

“Who bottomed?”

“Why do you need to know?” groaned Percy, flopping down onto the sand with his hands over his eyes.

“If you bottomed, Piper owes me 5 dollars.”

“Yes, I bottomed,” admitted Percy. “Why are you so excited anyway?”

“Well first of all, I get 5 dollars. Second, Percy, I don’t think you understand, you guys are my OTP! Tell him, you dumbass!” Leo had a maniac glint in his eyes, jumping up and down like he’d won the lottery. “Man, I’m so proud of you guys! And when you get married, I can be Jason’s best man—”

“What do you mean, when we get married? We’re not even dating, he might not even like me,” sighed Percy. “He’s my best friend.”

“Hey!” Grover shoved him playfully. “I’m your best friend. Jason’s your boyfriend.”

“No, he’s not.”

“Not yet.”

“How are you guys so confident about this?” wailed Percy.

“Because we’re not fucking blind, bro,” grinned Grover. “C’mon, let’s get back to Camp and catch whatever film they’re watching. And you and Jason can… frickety frack in the dark.” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Shut up, for fucks sake! I hate you guys.”

“Alright, fine, don’t get your toga in a twist.”

But when they walked into the Zeus cabin to join the others and Jason instinctively put his arm around Percy, Grover and Leo immediately started coughing obnoxiously. Percy was glad it was dark and Jason couldn’t see his blush.

And when he looked up and saw Jason smiling down at him, laughter in those mesmerising blue eyes, Percy felt a blossom of hope in his chest. Maybe Grover and Leo were right. In that moment, cuddled up in the dark with Jason and his friends watching a stupid Christmas rom-com, Percy was grateful.

He was so thankful that whatever they’d been through, they were still alive and able to laugh together. He remembered that life was worth living and the small moments like those were what made it beautiful. And he sent a silent prayer thanking his father for the life he had because he wouldn’t exchange it for anything and he knew he’d swim in the Styx one hundred times over if it meant his life was waiting on the other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh it's kind of a filler but i missed Grover 
> 
> never considered a Leo and Grover friendship before but idk the dynamic is funny when they're both bullying Percy XD


	16. CHAPTER 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> early update bc i'm away this weekend :)

Percy almost said _I love you_ on Christmas Eve, when they were driving to his mum’s house. If anything, Jason’s singing voice was somehow even worse than his but he didn’t care as they flew down the highway, way over the speed limit, while blaring stupid Christmas songs. He loved Jason’s silly side.

Or later that evening, when Jason fell asleep on the armchair, holding Estelle. He was wearing one of Percy’s Led Zeppelin T-shirts, which was tight around his biceps, but he still looked so soft cradling Percy’s baby sister and sleeping peacefully. His hair looked so soft and Percy wanted to run his hands through it. He did say it then, but so softly it didn’t count—there was no way Jason heard it.

“Someone’s got a little crush, hmmmm?” his mum sat down next to him and put her arm around Percy as the film credits started to roll.

“Shut up, mum,” whispered Percy, knowing that he was flaming red but not even trying to deny it. “It can’t be that obvious.”

“No, just a suspicion,” she teased. “After you’ve been giving him googly eyes for the whole movie. You should tell him.”

“Shut _up_ mum.”

He nearly took his mum’s advice on New Year’s Eve. After spending half the night setting off fireworks and totally not aiming them at each other, Jason looked so happy. As Percy watched him tackling Leo into the sand as Leo’s ‘safe’ firecrackers exploded all around them, Percy couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be. He loved it when Jason loosened up and messed around like a little kid.

And when the New Year countdown ended and everyone cheered and drank and kissed, Percy grabbed Jason’s waist and pulled him forwards, but chickened out at the last minute and hugged him tightly instead. Inwardly, he cursed himself and his own pussy nature, wondering why it was so fucking hard to say three words.

When Reyna announced that she was moving in with Annabeth after Christmas because Annabeth’s flatmate was moving to Washington for work experience, Percy felt his blood grow cold. Did that mean Jason was going to move into his own room now that he could? Percy suddenly regretted leaving his laundry on the floor all the time.

“Hey Perce, this means you can get your dolphin mural,” joked Jason. “And you can leave your fucking dirty underwear wherever you want.”

Percy nearly straight-up blurted out a love confession then and there but what actually came out was a mumbled: “I don’t mind sharing a room. I like it.”

To his relief, Jason didn’t protest. He just smiled and suggested that it could be a spare for visiting friends, so they wouldn’t have to stay on the couch or, gods forbid, the barracks.

And when Percy woke up screaming and fumbling for his sword after nightmares about drowning, burning, suffocating or all of his friends dropping dead while he watched helpless, Jason was always there. He’d climb up into Percy’s bed and soothe him and hold him for the rest of night. He felt so safe lying in Jason’s arms, surrounded by his soft, familiar scent. And fuck, Percy loved him so much it hurt.

***

It might have been Jason’s imagination but he felt like Percy was watching him more than usual and he wasn’t sure why. He didn’t mention it. And since they’d come back to college, Percy had dropped his excessive partying and drinking—Jason was relived, at least. He didn’t think it was doing Percy much good. Of course, they still went out but at least Percy wasn’t going to class running off 2 hours of sleep and red bull anymore.

And it was subtler but Percy had definitely stopped sleeping around as well. He wasn’t sure anyone else noticed because Percy still flirted like a whore but he never actually took anyone home. Jason assumed it was because of the Persephone incident and casually mentioned to him that the gods weren’t allowed to touch him, but Percy went red and changed the conversation.

“Are you going to eat the pasta or not?” Jason asked, watching Percy play with his lunch.

He jumped like he was caught in a thought. “Yeah. But Jason, this tastes boring.”

“It’s tomato sauce, course it’s boring.”

“I miss Reyna’s cooking. That was good.”

“Well I’m sorry,” said Jason, sarcastically. “Do you want to cook next time? Actually scrap that, I don’t trust you enough not to burn the kitchen down.”

“Shut up sparky.”

Jason couldn’t take Percy seriously when he had a tomato sauce moustache. He burst out laughing first. “Wipe your mouth kelphead.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll cook for your royal highness next time. And I won’t burn the kitchen, promise.”

Jason just smiled fondly. Percy loved to cook but his recipes were increasingly more haphazard and more often than not, were a really weird colour. Percy found that making food blue was a lot harder than baking blue cakes and Jason could just about handle blue rice but when Percy boiled it in Gatorade, Jason had to draw a line.

He got up to put his plate away, noticing Percy’s eyes dart away from his own for the hundredth time. Percy was acting really weird. Jason wondered if he’d done something wrong.

“You alright, Perce?”

“Yeah, I—” Percy basically threw his plate in the sink and escaped, red-faced. Jason didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him but he had a paper to finish and decided not to push it.

He was nearly done with the stupid essay and regretting taking law when Percy wandered into the living room, looking lost.

“Hi,” he said, scratching his head and looking somewhere above Jason. He had no idea why he was acting so weird.

“Errr… hi Percy? You sure you’re good? What’s on your mind?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just gotta… study. Yeah. Biology. Fish and that, y’know,” he finished lamely, scratching the back of his neck.

Jason frowned and watched Percy half-heartedly pull his laptop and random books out of his bag and try and sit down. Maybe it was Percy’s ADHD acting up but the boy wouldn’t sit still for 5 minutes—he kept jumping up, pacing, glancing at Jason and blushing when Jason caught him staring. Eventually, Jason got fed up.

Percy was resting on the armrest of the sofa, opening his mouth like he was going to say something but never actually getting around to it.

“Spit it out Perce, what’s on your mind? You’ve been weird all afternoon.”

“Did you mean it?” he blurted out. “When you said it? When you said that you’d risk spending eternity in hell for a lifetime with me?”

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t that. Jason’s mind blanked and apparently the pause was enough to throw Percy off.

“I’m sorry, forget I said anything, it was just words—”

“Percy,” interrupted Jason, finally getting his tongue back. “I meant it. I meant every word.”

He pinned down Percy’s wandering gaze with a steely look and Percy blushed ever so slightly. Jason’s heart was pounding furiously—this could go anywhere. Without breaking eye contact, Jason closed his laptop and took off his glasses.

“Jason, I—” he swallowed and looked down at his hands. “I love you.”

It was so quiet that Jason wondered if he’d imagined it. But when Percy met his eyes again and they were so vulnerable like he was scared that Jason would reject him… Jason knew he’d heard right.

Without another pause, Jason stood up and closed the space between them, cupping Percy’s face in his hand. He looked so beautiful but so scared, his seal-puppy eyes wide open and his lips red, like he’d been biting them in worry.

“I love you too.”

And then Jason leaned down and captured Percy’s lips in a soft kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUYS GUYS, I-- 
> 
> DAMN FINALLY :D
> 
> wrote a sex scene for practice next have fun  
> i put it in a separate chapter and it adds nothing to the plot so skip if you want


	17. CHAPTER 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sex scene adds virtually nothing to the plot skip if you like   
> just an add on from last chapter lol

Their kiss started soft and innocent as they both processed what was happening in wonder. Percy’s lips were soft and tasted ever so slightly like pasta sauce, and sea salt. But once Jason realised that he was actually kissing Percy, like he’d longed to do for so long, the kiss became deeper and more intense. As he slid his hands down to grip Percy’s ass tightly, Percy let out a muffled gasp and reached up to grab Jason’s hair, making them both overbalance and topple backwards onto the sofa behind them.

It was nowhere near as rough and rushed as their first time and Jason revelled in the fact he could do this now, and as many times as he wanted to. They could take as long as they wanted. He took his time exploring every part Percy’s mouth and enjoying the small noises he made under his touch. But when he teasingly slid his hands up Percy’s shirt, he was stopped.

“Could we—can we go to an actual bed? Not a couch?”

Jason huffed a laugh into Percy’s neck. “Course, if you want.”

He carried the lanky bastard to their room and dumped him onto the bed, before swinging his leg over to cage Percy in. He paused there, on all fours, just to look at Percy lying before him.

“Jason,” he whined, propping himself up onto his elbows to capture Jason’s lips again. It was soft and slow, and perfect. Jason’s hand crept back up Percy’s shirt and ran down his smooth skin and taught muscle. He was warm. Percy gasped as Jason ran his hand over his nipple and rolled his hips.

If Jason wasn’t hard before, he was now. He muffled a groan and pulled his shirt off, before yanking Percy’s off as well. Without wasting another second, he leaned in to latch his lips to Percy’s again. The kiss was open-mouthed and sloppy but neither of them minded. It was lazy, just like a Sunday afternoon should be. He could feel Percy’s hands, calloused from hours of holding a sword, run down his back.

Slowly, Jason started moving his kisses down. Percy’s breath audibly hitched as Jason left a trail of open-mouthed kisses down his neck, pausing only to suck a spot on his neck. He felt a wolfish sense of pride, knowing that it would leave marks. The thought excited him but he forced himself to slow down again and not rush it. He moved down further still, tasting the expanse of Percy’s skin, bronzed even in the winter. Jason savoured the breathy little noises Percy made when he flicked his tongue around his nipple.

The central heating started up with a loud series of clanking, making them both jump, then laugh. They’d been completely caught up in each other.

Jason took the moment to lean back and admire Percy shirtless. Gods, he was gorgeous. The setting winter sun spilling through the window made his skin dimly glow rose gold and caught his Mediterranean-green eyes, flecking them with gold light and making them dance but in a softer way than usual. He looked like a painting, sprawled over Jason’s bed, their legs tangled together. And he looked ready, glancing cheekily at Jason from underneath hooded eyes, his lips swollen and red from all their kissing, his skin slicked with a thin layer of sweat and faint red bruises on his neck forming.

He traced the thin line of dark hair that led the way from Percy’s bellybutton and disappeared beneath his jeans and pointed towards the bulge in his pants. Jason glanced up to meet Percy’s eyes again. His pupils were blown and he was biting his lip seductively as he stared at Jason.

Jason teasingly palmed Percy’s erection through his pants, enjoying the soft moan that spilled from his lips and the way he threw his head back, throwing the steadily darkening bruises on his neck into the light. Again, Jason had to quell the predatory instinct that threatened to take over. He’d made those. Percy was his.

Instead, he roughly pulled Percy’s pants off, ignoring his gasp, and sat back to admire his full, naked body. His dick was half-hard and dusky red and Jason felt himself getting harder at the sight. But Percy himself was actually looking anxious, spread out before him like that. This was intimate, way more than it had been last time they’d shagged.

“You alright, Perce?” Jason cupped Percy’s face and ran his thumb over his cheekbone.

“Yeah, I—I’m just not used to showing myself like this. You know,” he chuckled shakily. “Normally it’s just a fuck and go, you know.”

“I’d hope I’m not a fuck and go,” teased Jason.

“Course not. Sorry, I’m just a bit self-conscious… the way you’re staring at me…”

Jason smirked, and positioned himself directly above Percy again. “Like you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen? And that you’re really mine?”

“I—yeah,” Percy let out a shaky breath and his eyes flicked away from Jason’s. He could feel Percy’s heartbeat increasing and his cock twitching against his leg. “I’m not used to it.”

Jason shrugged and laughed into Percy’s ear, feeling Percy shiver beneath him. “Jason… are you going to fuck me?”

He shrugged again, sitting back and admiring the way Percy’s mouth fell open slightly and the steady rise and fall of his chest, faster than normal. “Only if you want me too. And if you feel uncomfortable, we can do it in the dark.”

“No. I don’t mind. I like seeing you.”

“I’d like to hope so,” smiled Jason, letting his finger skim over Percy’s lips. Percy’s tongue shot out and licked the tips of his fingers. He wasn’t expecting that. The look on Percy’s face had swapped from soft and vulnerable to positively sinful in a second.

Jason felt blood rushing to his cock as Percy took his fingers into his mouth and swirled his tongue around them. Gods, Percy looked depraved with two of Jason’s fingers enveloped in his tight, red mouth and his cheeks hollowed out around them. He could definitely imagine Percy’s lips around something else, but that was for a different time.

He pulled his fingers out and let them trail back down over his torso, abs and down to his cock, giving it a good tug and watching Percy’s mouth fall open into a gasp and his eyes flutter closed. Jason replaced his hand with his tongue.

Percy’s guttural moan sent vibrations running down his whole body. Jason allowed himself a smirk as Percy knotted his hands into his hair and without warning, he swallowed as much of Percy’s dick as he could in one go. And fuck, the helpless noises Percy was making were driving him crazy.

Jason got to work in earnest, ignoring the slight ache in his jaw from the awkward angle and trying desperately not to gag. Percy’s hands, tight in his hair, helped ground Jason and forced him to focus solely on the cock in front of him, using his hand to jerk off what he couldn’t fit into his mouth. If he was being honest, he didn’t particularly enjoy sucking dick but it was worth it if Percy was falling apart in his hands like that.

Percy involuntarily bucked his hips, making Jason gag slightly. He ignored the sting in his eyes and swirled his tongue around the head, tasting the salty pre-cum on the tip. Percy gasped again—his breathing was already speeding up.

“Jason… Jason, I— _oh_ —shit… I’m gonna…” he tried to pull Jason away but Jason slapped his hand away. “I don’t wanna cum yet, I want you to fuck me— _ahhhh…_ ”

Percy dissolved into a string of garbled curse words and bucked his hips again, Jason’s name spilling from his lips. Jason swallowed, gave Percy’s limp dick one last lick and smirked at Percy. “Who says we can’t do both?”

Then, he dived back down and pulled Percy’s arse closer to him, not giving him time to respond. He wasn’t a pro at eating ass: again, it wasn’t normally something he did for people. But Percy was the exception, he was always the exception. And judging by the half-sob and moan that Percy gave him, he was doing something right.

Jason spread Percy’s cheeks and gave the dark ring an experimental lick, flattening his tongue and dragging it all the way up to his balls. Then, he dove the rest of the way in. His neck hurt but he didn’t care. Eventually, among Percy’s gasps, Jason managed to shove his tongue past the tight ring of muscle. He liked the way Percy’s legs were trembling around his head.

He stopped a second to fumble around in the bedside table for his bottle of lube. Percy looked fucking depraved, sweaty and pupils blown wide and cock already half-hard again. And Jason hadn’t even fucked him yet.

His first two fingers slid in without resistance—apparently Jason’s rimming was good enough to relax him that much. Unless…

“Do you finger yourself, Perce?” asked Jason, aware that his voice was low and rough with lust. It was taking everything he had not to take Percy then and there, instead of slowly, like he’d promised himself.

“I… fuck… yeah,” his head was thrown back in an expression of ecstasy, even though he’d come already.

“Show me how,” whispered Jason, pulling his fingers out. He smirked at the enraged look on Percy’s face.

“Fine, fucks sake,” he half snarled at Jason, snatching the lube from his hands and bringing his fingers around the back of his leg.

Jason’s mouth went dry as the expression on Percy’s face melted back into bliss. Never in his life had he seen something so obscene but so erotic. Percy’s back was arched and he had three fingers up his arse, fucking himself at the same pace as he stroked his hardening cock.

“What do you think of, Perce? What do you think of when you do this alone?” growled Jason, longing to put his cock inside him already. He was gorgeous.

“You,” gasped Percy. “I think of you fucking me like you did that day—”

Jason was on him in a second, snogging him senseless as Percy writhed beneath him. Maybe his kisses were harder than he planned but when Percy looked like that, he really couldn’t help himself. Percy reached up and raked his nails down Jason’s back as he rolled his hips violently, forcing Jason to choke back a deep moan.

“You ready?” he asked, looking up to meet Percy’s eyes. 

“Have been for ages but go off.”

“Cheeky.”

Jason unbuckled his belt, cast his trousers to the ground and lubed up his dick, not missing the way Percy’s eyes kept dipping down. He lined up his dick and pressed, trying not to buckle over in pleasure. Percy was hot, and tight. He paused, not wanting to hurt Percy, but there was nothing but pleasure written over his face. Jason grabbed his hips and pushed in all the way, Percy’s muscles pliant around his cock.

With a groan, he bottomed out and slumped down over Percy, supported by his forearms.

“You okay Perce?”

“My man, I’m thriving.”

And Jason felt his chest tightening, was so insanely happy at that moment. Percy was smiling up at him, eyes dancing in the last light from the setting sun outside.

“I love you,” he said softly, stroking Percy’s cheek.

“When did you know?”

Jason shrugged. Maybe it was weird talking to Percy so casually when he had his dick up his ass and was hard beyond belief but he didn’t really care. It felt natural. “For a long time. It sort of crept up on me.”

“I love you too.”

And then Jason started moving, slow and sensual, savouring every stroke. He twisted his fingers into Percy’s own, on either side of his head, and watched him gasp and throw his head back. Presumably, he’d managed to hit that sweet spot inside him.

Jason tried to maintain the slow pace as long as he could, he really tried. He loved the way Percy was slowly falling apart in front of him. But when the pleasure that was coiling at the bottom of his stomach started to build, rational thought started to disappear. He slammed into Percy again and again, groaning at the feeling of Percy’s inner walls tightening around him. Fuck, he was close.

“Jason, I—” Percy gasped, in between moans.

He let go of Percy’s hand and reached for his dick instead, determined to make Percy come for a second time before him. And Percy moaning his name and clenching around him did it for Jason—as splatters of white streaked Percy’s chest, Jason came too. He milked out the last of his orgasm, shuddering against Percy, before pulling out and slumping down next to Percy.

“You good, Perce?”

“Are you kidding? Best I’ve ever felt,” he laughed lazily and rolled over to face Jason, only wincing slightly. Jason huffed a laugh and leaned in to kiss him again, soft and sweet.

Eventually, he realised they should probably clean up and he stood to go grab a warm towel from the shower and some clean sheets. Percy let him clean him off gently, using the damp towel to wipe away any traces of cum.

He left when Jason changed the sheets but came back with pot noodle and his laptop. As expected, Percy fell asleep halfway through Finding Nemo, using Jason as a pillow. And Jason swore he’d never felt as much tenderness as he did then, looking at Percy cuddled up into his chest and clinging to him like an octopus.


	18. CHAPTER 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting close to the end :o  
> thanks for all your love <3  
> enjoy this silly (mostly filler) chapter

Percy woke up the next morning tangled in Jason’s arms and content. He was warm and Jason’s bare skin was smooth against his own. He was happy to lie there, content, forever, and just listen to Jason’s even breathing and the steady thump of his heart.

He traced the veins down Jason’s biceps and onto his forearms, admiring the smooth, pale skin. Percy was still tanned from the summer, but Jason’s had faded. Still, his skin still had an unmistakeable golden undertone and a healthy glow.

Percy moved his wandering fingers back up to skim Jason’s collarbone, then down over his full pecs and the dusty-coloured tip of his nipple. He stirred slightly and Percy caught his breath, wondering if he’d woken up—but Jason didn’t move again. Fuck, he was beautiful. Percy marvelled at how he’d managed to miss that for so many months. He supposed they were in the middle of a war and he’d had Annabeth at the time.

Percy felt strange thinking about her. He remembered a time when she’d been his everything and dimly wondered why. Fuck, he was infinitely glad he’d got his head out of his arse and moved on.

He moved his hand up from Jason’s torso and traced the crook of his neck before moving a gentle hand up to his face. His hair was fluffy and Percy felt like running his hand through it, so he did. As he traced the bridge of Jason’s strong nose and the contours of his high cheekbones, Percy felt a felt a strong sense of wonder. Jason was _his_ now. With his beautiful laugh and soft smile and steady temper and ultimate mum-instinct and occasional tetchiness. He loved every inch of him, everything from his stupid sense of duty to his bland fucking cooking and the wolfish smirk that secretly drove Percy up the walls.

Percy traced the lines on Jason’s soft pink lips, letting his fingers linger on his stapler scar.

“Having fun there, Perce?”

He jumped guiltily, snatching his hand away. He didn’t notice Jason waking up. Jason just smiled softly and grabbed Percy’s hand back, his icy eyes soft and sparkling like a fresh winter morning.

“I don’t mind. Carry on.”

Percy replaced his fingers with his lips, leaving delicate kisses around Jason’s mouth, until Jason threw him off whining about how bad Percy’s morning breath stank. Percy just laughed and rolled backwards onto the bed, safe in the knowledge that they’d have a million more moments like those.

***

“Hey, dipshit,” Clarisse La Rue dumped her books next to Percy and flopped down in her usual seat next to him in the lecture hall.

“’Sup cow,” Percy snapped out of his daydream, dropping Riptide. The cap flew off and it expanded into a sword, slicing a chair in half.

“Jackson!” shrieked their professor, a middle-aged, pot-bellied satyr who taught marine biology, of all things.

Clarisse cackled under her breath as Ebbage raged at him. This was not what college was supposed to be about at all. Percy’s expectations of college were lectures, with a professor droning on at the front, who probably didn’t know his name. Apparently Jason’s classes were like that, but then again he was studying law. That actually had more than a high school class of people doing the bloody course.

“Jackson? Are you even listening to me?” Ebbage slammed his wooden ruler on the table in front of him, making Percy jump again. Clarisse was half-dying in her seat.

“Course I was, sir.”

“What did I just say?”

“Are you even listening to me?”

Percy knew full well it was a cheap joke. Even Clarisse was face-palming. With an admirable amount of restraint, Ebbage chose to ignore him and once again stalked to the front, muttering about the bloody Greeks.

“Percy. Percy!” Clarisse elbowed him in the ribs.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Write something, punk. You’ve been doodling fish all over your notebook for the past 10 minutes.”

“Oh. Yeah. Guess I have.”

“The fuck are you even thinking about?”

Percy blushed scarlet, reluctant to admit he’d been absent-mindedly fantasising about Jason. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit. Is it something to do with them hickeys on your neck?”

“La Rue! And Jackson! Again! Shut the hell up, stupid Greeks!” Ebbage slammed his ruler into their desk again, sending pieces of wood flying off of it. “I swear, all the Romans here are _properly disciplined…_ never in my life of teaching have I had to deal with two _little shits_ —”

Percy zoned out for the hundredth time. Ebbage went on this rant almost every lesson. He absent-mindedly traced the bruises on his neck. 

“JACKSON! FOR PLUTO’S SAKE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I’VE ASKED YOU A QUESTION 3 TIMES!”

“He’s lovesick,” grinned a son of Aphrodite—no, Venus—from the front. Percy didn’t even know his name.

“Shut up nerd.”

“Lovesick?” Clarisse had a shit-eating grin on her face. “Oh, this is precious. Percy the hoe? In love?”

“Shut up Clarisse, or I’ll shove lamer up your ass—”

“SHUT THE HELL UP AND _SOMEBODY_ TELL ME THE FUNCTION OF MITOCHONDRIA BEFORE I WHOOP YOUR LILLY ASSES—”

Dimly, Percy wondered whether Professor Ebbage was related to Coach Hedge.

Percy half-sprinted to meet Jason after class, ignoring Clarisse yelling after him, demanding to know who his girlfriend was.

He stood outside Jason’s class, trying to remain calm. It was just Jason. And when he finally caught sight of Jason’s blond hair leaving the lecture theatre, he surprised even himself by leaning up and kissing Jason square on the lips, in front of everyone. Jason paused, staring down at him in surprise and Percy had to laugh at the dopey expression on his face.

“Hold up, did you just—” screeched Clarisse, who’d followed him there. “Jackson, there’s no way in hell you can pretend that’s something _just friends_ do. You’re dating a _Roman?_ ”

Percy shrugged and smirked, enjoying the warmth of Jason’s arm around his waist.

“Hold on, you guys weren’t dating before?” said a different voice. The whole fucking corridor had stopped and were staring at them.

Percy suddenly felt very self-conscious with so many Romans gaping at them. Was Percy’s love life really that interesting to them? Okay, true, he’d probably slept with half the people here whether he remembered it or not and his name was well known in the legion and obviously so was Jason’s…

All the thoughts ran from his mind when Jason grabbed his waist and snogged him again, right then and there, confirming the whole campus’ speculations. The corridor erupted into screams and cheers and the sound of money being exchanged.

Percy smiled into Jason’s lips.


	19. CHAPTER 19

Percy took a massive bite out of his bagel and grabbed his wallet. They’d just moved back onto campus for their second year of college and they were in the same flat as last time, except Frank was going to be joining them. Frank hadn’t moved in yet, he was still in Canada trying to settle his grandmother’s will and was gonna come back in a couple of days.

“I’m going to the store, need anything?” he yelled over his shoulder.

His boyfriend’s voice drifted back from out of their bedroom. “I literally gave you a whole ass shopping list Perce, what do you mean ‘do I want anything?’ I want everything on the fucking list.”

“No need to get you toga in a twist…” Percy’s voice drifted off at the end, when he threw the door open and accidentally kicked the basket on his doorstep. “The fuck?”

He squatted down to inspect it. He didn’t dare touch it yet, it looked like it was sent from a god and he knew full well that godly objects had high mortality rates. It was made of white poplar, twisted into bone and studded with small, luscious red gems carved to resemble pomegranate seeds. Percy felt his blood run cold. The fuck did Persephone want from him?

Percy jumped violently and pulled his sword out when the basket let out a small cry. Slowly, very slowly, he pulled the silk away to see what was underneath. Flower petals? Percy paused, not wanting to stick his hand straight in, just in case it was a nasty booby trap. Maybe it was from Hades. But when it cried again, Percy let curiosity get the better of him.

He gingerly brushed the petals away and very nearly screamed.

A baby?

What?

His brain short circuited.

“Perce? Is everything alright?” Jason came around the corner, holding a basket of laundry.

“There’s a… there’s a fucking baby…” he mumbled weakly. Whatever he was expecting it wasn’t this; he felt like he was about to pass out.

“A what?” Jason put the laundry down and walked to the doorway. He froze when he realised that Percy wasn’t taking the piss. There was an actual baby on their doorstep.

“Persephone’s baby? What the fuck Percy? Didn’t you use a condom?”

“Of course I used a condom, I’m not fucking thick!” Percy’s voice was rising in panic. “I don’t know, maybe Persephone has godly vaginal fluids or some shit, but right now there’s a _baby_ on my doorstep and I don’t fucking know what to do?”

When he raised his voice, the baby started crying in earnest. Jason, although thrown, seemed to realise that Percy was shaking, on the verge of a panic attack. He put a hand on Percy’s shoulder. “It’s okay Perce. Let’s take the baby inside then we can figure out where to go from there.”

Trembling, Percy picked up the basket and stepped back inside trying desperately not to hyperventilate. It was supposed to be a normal school year spent with his boyfriend and friends, and now there was a fucking baby in the mix. Gods damn the gods.

He put the baby down on the kitchen table but yelped when the basket started dissolving and the baby was left lying naked on the table.

“Fuck. Jason, what do I do with it? It’s still crying.”

“First of all,” said Jason. “It’s not an it. It’s a she.”

“Okay, okay…”

“And she’s crying,” gently, Jason lifted the new-born and held her to his chest. “Get a blanket or something, so she’s not naked.”

“Right,” Percy’s brain was in autopilot, he couldn’t process what the hell was going on. At least Jason was calm. Percy stumbled into their bedroom and grabbed one of his Camp Half-Blood T-shirts and returned to the kitchen. Jason had calmed the baby down and was cooing to her.

“Now what?”

“Give her a name.”

“Name?”

“Yes, a name. You are keeping her, aren’t you Perce? You’re not going to put her up for adoption?” Jason’s worried glance met his own.

“What—no, no. Definitely not. I don’t want her to… I don’t want her to feel neglected,” he swallowed.

The baby started crying again, the weak noise making Percy panic again. “Why is she crying?”

“She’s probably hungry.”

“Jason, what am I going to do? I don’t have boobs, how am I supposed to feed her?” he wailed.

Jason rolled his eyes so hard Percy was surprised they didn’t fall out. He supposed he was panicking, but the hell else was he supposed to do? He was a dad, apparently.

“I’m a dad,” Percy realised weakly. “Jason, I’m a dad.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Jason smiled. “Now are you going to give her a name or not?”

Percy blew out a deep breath and flopped down at the kitchen table. There were too many thoughts running through his brain. _He was a dad._ How was Jason being so calm? He was 19 and in college for fucks sake. Percy couldn’t take care of himself, let alone another tiny human. Who was also ¾ god.

“Fuck.”

“Language, Perseus. There’s children present.”

“Shut up Jason, she can’t talk yet.”

“Might as well make it a habit.”

“Okay, okay. Fine. I’ll say flip,” he sighed again, shakily. “She needs a name. Right.”

“Should we pick a random name you like? Or do you want to name her after someone?” asked Jason, reaching across the table to grip Percy’s hand tightly. It steadied him.

Percy stared at the small bundle, wrapped in his orange T-shirt, held in Jason’s arms. She was so, so small. And vulnerable. For the first time, he felt the shock subsiding and his parental instincts kick in. She was _his._ His to love, his to protect. His responsibility. And she needed a name.

“I don’t know, Jason. Too many people I knew died for me,” fuck, he was on the verge of a breakdown. He was a demigod for Poseidon’s sake, and the baby was ¾ god or whatever the hell that made her. The gods wouldn’t leave him alone and now he had a kid? How the hell was he supposed to protect her from all the shit that was inevitably going to fuck up her life? All the monsters, wars and prophecies? For the first time, he really realised how his mother must have felt all these years.

Jason’s calm voice cut his steadily rising panic again. “Hey, it’s a name. it doesn’t have to mean anything. After you give her a name, we can go buy her food and a cot and clothes and other baby things. Oh, and call Frank and tell him he’s gonna have to stay with Leo and Cally instead, now that we’ve got an extra person in our family.”

_Family._ Percy felt tears welling in his eyes but forced them back. His voice came out wobbly. “No, I want to name her after someone. He was one of my best friends, he sacrificed himself so I could get away. Beckendorf. Charles Beckendorf.”

“Okay, that’s a start,” gods, Percy was so grateful for Jason and his calm voice of reason. “What are you thinking, Perce? Charlie? So, Charlotte? Or if people called him Beckendorf, how about Becky or Becca?”

“I… yeah. Becky. Rebecca?” he bit his lip.

“Rebecca Jackson. Middle name?”

“I… do you want to name her after your mum?” Percy asked, shyly.

Jason looked touched and a little choked up. “Seriously? She’s your daughter.”

Honestly, Percy didn’t know whether he was being to forward. He’d only been dating Jason for 8 months or so, but he’d never felt so sure of something in his life. Jason was his other half and whether he knew it or not, Percy was gonna marry him one day. Watching him sitting there with Becky in his arms, the sunlight hitting him so his blonde hair made a halo around his head… Percy loved the both of them so much and he knew he’d do anything to protect them. “Positive. Rebecca Beryl Jackson?”

_And later Jackson-Grace_ he thought but didn’t say it out loud.

“No. Name her after Lupa. She raised me.”

“Rebecca Lupa Jackson. Okay.”

“Hey Perce,” smiled Jason, holding out the baby. “Look at her. She’s got your eyes.”

“Really?” gods, he was getting choked up.

“Yeah. Green like the Mediterranean Sea. Here, hold her.”

“Hold her?”

“Yes, hold her. She came out of your ball-sack after all,” smirked Jason.

“I—yeah.” Percy stood up and accepted the little bundle from Jason. He was right. She did have his eyes. They were just like Poseidon’s—just like the sea. Wide and green and beautiful. He gazed at her lying there in his arms, in his bright orange camp T-shirt and his heart all but burst.

“She looks like a wrinkly gremlin,” he said, fondly. He was definitely crying and he didn’t think he’d seen anyone more beautiful in his life. Yes, he was in college and yes he was a demigod. Yes, Jason was basically his mum and still forced him to eat vegetables. Yes, he was 19 and an immature fuck up with trauma, but that was okay.

“Come here, Perce, you sappy git,” laughed Jason, even though Percy could see even his eyes were a bit watery. He let himself be pulled into a hug and buried his head in the crook of Jason’s shoulder. 

“It’ll be okay, won’t it?”

“Of course it will. It’s all going to work out just fine.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao this chapter was supposed to be the epilogue y’all lucky you’re getting another one because I’m weak and couldn’t resist
> 
> also i posted some pjo one-shots so check them out if you want


	20. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! You’ve reached the final chapter. Chapter 19 was supposed to be the ending but I couldn’t resist writing a fluffy Jercy epilogue sooo… :/

Everything was alright. Sometimes Percy would still wake up sobbing and reaching for his sword but through the years, Jason was always there comforting him. Sometimes he’d break down and cry remembering what he lost and what he’d been through but he’d always get up and look around and remind himself that it was okay and it was over. And sometimes he’d look at Jason and look at their kids and feel his heart clenching painfully and all the paranoia would come rushing back in so strong that he’d have to sit down and try not to panic. But that was okay because there was always someone here for him, whether it was Jason, his friends or his mum and Paul.

The first few years were the hardest. When all of his friends were in classes and he couldn’t find an experienced babysitter for Becky, either he or Jason would have to go to lectures with her. He knew he was getting judged every second of the day—he was too young and too irresponsible to be a parent. Everyone knew him as the disorganised mess who sassed the professor and drank too much and who’d mercifully stopped sleeping around when he’d got together with Jason.

When Jason told Percy that he’d take care of Becky for a night so Percy could go out and have a bit of fun, he was initially grateful. But then he’d noticed the stares: the only parent on Campus, at a party. They probably thought he was a negligent fuck up. Even though Annabeth encouraged him not to pay attention to their judgemental looks, when she offered him a bottle Percy felt sick. He remembered Gabe and the way he’d hit Percy and his mother when he drank too much. He never thought that memory would come and haunt him after years of war and death but now he had a kid… Percy’s blood curdled as he imagined himself losing control like Gabe. Logically, he knew he’d never but he left the party and cried when Jason asked what was wrong. Fuck, he cried too much.

Or when Becky started crying halfway through a lecture and Percy would have to run out to comfort her and try not to disturb his classmates. Yes, Clarisse would always have a set of notes for him and try and explain it as best as she could but it wasn’t the same. He was constantly distracted in his lectures even when she was sleeping and he was always sleep deprived and found it really hard to take notes and was falling behind. Until one day, at the end of class Professor Ebbage forced him to sit down to talk.

“Jackson. Your grades are slipping.”

“I know. I’m sorry, sir. I’m just stressed, I’ll study more—”

“Jackson,” said his professor, sternly. “Have you looked into other childcare options that don’t involve taking Becky to classes?”

“Yes, but all my friends—”

“I’m sure they’ve offered to help you, and especially that boyfriend of yours.”

“I don’t want to pressure them; they’re all busy as well. Jason keeps offering to take her to his classes but he does Law and I—”

“You’ve been hiding how much you’re struggling,” he interrupted.

“She’s my responsibility,” Percy retorted, stubbornly.

“Okay, how about a parent or relative that can take care of her during the day?”

“My mum lives in New York. I don’t think I could… I don’t think I can take not being with Becky that long.”

“I’m going to be blunt with you, Jackson. I know being a young parent is hard but there’s no other way I can put it: if you carry on like this you’re going to fail the course.”

Percy put his head into his hands. The fuck was he thinking before? College wasn’t for him. He should have taken an apprenticeship or something, or opened a bloody bakery. Yes, he loved the course and it was something he was genuinely passionate about but there was no point if he was doomed to fail.

“Jackson, you’re a smart kid but you’re really struggling. She distracts you too much. Yes, looking after a kid is difficult at the best of times, but in college? You need to find a babysitter.”

Percy realised that he must have inadvertently looked horrified, judging by the concerned expression on Ebbage’s face. “But… I couldn’t. She’s too young and I don’t trust—”

“Percy,” Ebbage seemed to understand that there was no way that Percy would trust the most important thing in his world with a random stranger. Not when there were bound to be all sorts of gods and monsters after his blood. “I understand. Listen, as your professor I’m willing to offer as much support I can in this difficult time, at least until she gets older and you feel comfortable enough leaving her with a babysitter. Until you find a better arrangement, leave her at the front with me during lectures. And if you fall behind, remember that my office is always open and I’m always willing to explain concepts again.”

“You’d… you’d really do that?” Fuck, Percy was choked up again. Maybe it was his shitty sleep schedule, maybe that was why he kept crying all the fucking time.

“Of course. You’re a good kid Percy and a great father.”

Percy had never appreciated the kindness of his teacher before and actually did end up crying. Man, he low-key regretted pissing about in his class for all of last year. But after that, his grades spiked dramatically.

He was halfway through his 4th and last year of college for his masters when it happened. Just as he thought the gods were being too quiet for too long as well. There was a knock on the door and Percy, who’d just finished putting blue cookies in the oven, yelled at Jason that he’d get it.

Percy threw open the door in his sweatpants and pink apron, expecting to see Frank or Hazel or something but instead found himself face to face with Hermes.

“Percy! Excellent. I was hoping you’d be here. See, I need a favour—”

Percy slammed the door in his face.

“Percy! Please, hear me out!” Hermes pounded on the door.

“Babe, who is it?” called Jason from the living room.

Percy gritted his teeth. “Nobody. An old friend.”

“Percy! Just to talk!” whined Hermes.

“Fine! What?” Percy threw the door open again and Hermes nearly fell through. “I’m retired from the hero stuff; I don’t have time for this bull. I’m a dad, I’m in college, I have a life. Go pick on a centurion or something.”

“No, listen,” Hermes dusted himself off, looking nervous. “It’s not like that. Can I come in? Just to talk?”

“Jason,” yelled Percy over his shoulder. “You think I should let Hermes in ‘just to talk’?”

“Hermes?” frowned Jason, stepping out with a giggling Becky clinging to his leg. “Why?”

“Uhhh… so you see, I have a problem…”

“Nope,” Percy tried closing the door in his face again but Hermes stuck his arm out.

“Please, it’s not a quest! I was wondering if you wanted to adopt another one!”

Percy stopped trying to slam the door on Hermes’ arm. “What?”

Turned out, Hermes had another kid but the mother died in childbirth. And apparently, Hermes didn’t want another ‘Luke’ as he called it. It touched Percy that Hermes cared about this baby enough not to just dump it in an orphanage, then he realised how fucked up it was to be considered it an act of kindness instead of basic parental duties.

Either way, after a long talk with Jason and Becky, he found himself on the phone to his mum, excited to tell her she had a grandson.

Everything was working out perfectly.

And now, after graduating, he was finally about to get married.

“I can’t believe you’ve grown up so much,” sniffed Annabeth, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She looked striking in the tux she’d opted for. “I still look at you and see the dork I met when we were twelve.”

“Don’t you dare start crying wise girl, or you’ll set me off as well,” Percy tried to ignore the tears brimming in his eyes. Grover was already blowing his nose loudly in the corner.

Annabeth reached out to straighten his tie with a watery laugh. “You’re still a fucking dork though. Look at you, still can’t do up a bowtie properly.”

“But Annabeth, I look fine, don’t I?”

“The best, Percy. Tell him, Grover.”

“I can’t,” sniffed Grover. “That’ll set me off again. Look at him, Annabeth. Our idiot’s all grown up. He’s not dying and he’s in an actual suit and not a shitty T-shirt. It’s too much for me to take.”

Percy laughed as he looked at his two best friends in the world. It was just like the old times, except they weren’t heading to certain death this time. He remembered a time where they were all he had. And for once, he had to take a moment to thank the gods for indirectly bringing them together. Nothing like a healthy bit of childhood trauma for bonding.

And gods, Jason… Percy definitely felt weak at the knees looking at his future husband. He was as gorgeous as the first time Percy had him in a tux. Honestly, Percy had to restrain himself from launching himself into his arms as the Rachel droned on and on with her ancient Greek wedding rites. He knew it was custom but still… with Jason smiling at him like that Percy had long since stopped paying attention to what she was saying.

He was honestly so beautiful. And he was _his._ Jason, with his gorgeous fluffy hair that Percy loved to run his hands through and his broad shoulders, his staple scar on his lip and the stupid dangly silver earring. Percy remembered when they got that done together and felt himself tearing up at the memory.

_Hold it together, idiot._

Percy barely heard himself speaking his vows; he was too captivated by the ice-blue eyes he loved, twinkling like the sky on a sunny day. He didn’t notice his mum and Annabeth sobbing in the front row, nor did he notice his father, Jupiter and Lupa, who’d actually taken up the invitation, who were smiling proudly.

And when Rachel finally finished waffling and announced them married, Percy threw his arms around Jason’s neck without hesitation and kissed him. Jason’s hands were tight around his waist and he felt his lips curve into a smile against his.

And gods, he felt like his heart was bursting when they finally broke apart. It was honestly the single happiest moment—not even thoughts of monsters or gods or the future were hanging over him as he looked into his husband’s laughing blue eyes.

“You’re totally crying,” grinned Percy.

“I’m not crying, you’re crying,” with a smirk, Jason cupped his face to wipe a tear that managed to escape. Percy hadn’t even noticed it.

“Shut up superman.” he couldn’t help it and pulled Jason into a crushing hug and buried his face into his shoulder, only stopping when he heard a laugh and felt their daughter running up to the alter and hugging his leg.

“Say cheese!”

Percy laughed into the camera. Jason’s arm was tight around his waist and the other holding their son, while Becky gripped the bottom of Percy’s suit.

It was a beautiful picture. When Percy looked at it later, it always reminded him that everything was working out just fine. And it was moments like those that kept them going. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU for reading and for all of your kind comments and kudos!   
> Quick question—would people be interested in a Piper/Reyna sequel (really not Jercy-centric tbh)? I started one but the writing style was pretty different to this and I didn’t really dig it. I might pick it back up again at some point though.   
> MEANWHILE go check out my PJO one-shots (you know you want to)


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